Chapter 11 Mathematical Methods 11.1 Overview

Processing of written and spoken human language is computation. However, language processing is not a single type of computation. The di erent levels of information encoding in our language as well as the spectrum of applications for language technology pose a range of very distinct computational tasks. Therefore a wide variety of mathematical methods have been employed in human language technology. Some of them have led to specialized tools for a very restricted task, while others are part of the mathematical foundations of the technology. In this overview a very general map is drawn that groups the di erent approaches. Some particularly relevant classes of methods are highlighted in the remaining sections of the chapter.