Information Theory in English Prose

The predictability of letter sequences in English prose, where certain letters are more likely to follow others.

The amount of information a message carries, based on the likelihood of its components. A highly predictable sequence carries less information.

Claude Shannon's theory quantifies the information content of messages, including text, by analyzing the predictability of its elements.

The relative frequency of certain words or letter combinations in a text. These preferences influence the overall structure and information content.

The property of a language where the meaning of a message can be understood even with missing or inaccurate letters, due to the predictability of the language.

The process of inferring the missing parts of a message based on context and language patterns, illustrating the redundancy present in written language.

The mathematical framework for quantifying the information content of any message, whether letters, words, or other symbols.

The overall predictability of a language allows for information to be conveyed with fewer elements, as the context and patterns provide a sufficient amount of information.

A mathematical concept that measures the predictability of a sequence of symbols within a data source, like a writer's work.

A network of words and the connections between them in a written text, used to analyze a writer's characteristic patterns of word usage.

A mathematical method for comparing two WANs, quantifying their differences by examining the relative likelihood of words occurring together.

The likelihood that a specific symbol will occur in a data source, calculated based on the probability of the symbol appearing in a given context.

The specific weight assigned to each edge in a WAN, representing the frequency of co-occurrence between the connected nodes.

A procedure for comparing two WANs by subtracting the natural logarithm of the weight in one network from the corresponding edge weight in the other network.

The likelihood that a specific node or word will appear in a WAN, determined by its position within the network and the strength of its connections.

The total difference between two WANs, calculated by summing the relative entropy values for each edge common to both networks.

A method for determining the authorship of a text by analyzing its writing style and comparing it to known works of different authors.

A database of plays from the early modern English period, used to identify the authors based on their writing styles.

The process of verifying a method's accuracy by using it to analyze texts with known authorship.

Plays written solely by one author.

Plays written by two or more authors.

A collection of data representing the writing style of a particular author.

Plays that are not commercially produced, such as court masques or civic entertainments.

A collection of words that are most effective in distinguishing between authors based on their writing styles.

A play's relative entropy calculated against the collective works of all authors.

The process of determining the most likely author of a play based on its relative entropy compared to different author profiles.

A collaborative play is considered correctly attributed if at least one of the actual collaborators is ranked as the most likely author based on the attribution method.

The accuracy of the attribution model is calculated by comparing the predicted authorship with the known or consensus authorship of plays.

The study of authorship attribution refers to the process of determining the most likely author of a text based on its stylistic features and patterns, often using statistical and computational techniques.

Words that help connect words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. They are not directly involved in the meaning of the sentence but help establish grammatical relationships.

Analyzing and comparing function word frequencies to determine the most likely author of a text.

The differences in the use of function words between authors.

The specific way an author uses function words, which may reflect their education, time period, or personal preferences.

The frequency of a certain function word within a text.

A method used to determine the authorship of a text by analyzing and comparing the frequency of specific function words used.

A set of words that are commonly used in written text. They are typically short and frequently used, such as prepositions, conjunctions, and pronouns.

The process of selecting the most relevant function words for analysis in a specific attribution study.

Studying the frequency of specific function words to determine the authorship of plays attributed to William Shakespeare.

A set of plays with disputed authorship, which may have been written by Shakespeare or other playwrights of his time.

A play written by Ben Jonson, known for satirical humor and witty dialogue.

A play by Ben Jonson that features a love triangle and explores the concept of self-deception.

A comedy by Ben Jonson that satirizes the follies of society. It features a variety of colorful characters and is famous for its lively atmosphere.

A play by Ben Jonson that portrays a world where people are driven solely by their obsessions.

A play by George Chapman that follows a story of betrayal, revenge, and the consequences of ambition.

A play by Thomas Middleton that uses the setting of a London marketplace to examine themes of love, marriage, and social mobility.

A play by Thomas Middleton that is a political allegory set during the reign of James I.

A play by Thomas Middleton that is well known for its violent and revenge-driven plot.