04-11-2019, 01:11 AM
Keep in mind: "We don't argue that the text was created by a computer program and we also don't argue that our program is able to simulate the complexity of human behavior" (Timm & Schinner 2019, p. 15). We have kept the algorithm as simple as possible. Our goal was to demonstrate that even our simple implementation "reproduces the intriguing key properties of the original text, including the presence of long-range correlations, the 'binomial-like' word length distribution, and both of Zipf’s laws" (Timm & Schinner 2019, p. 2). We also say: "Of course, it is possible to pinpoint quantitative differences between the real VMS and the used facsimile text (most likely any facsimile text). An example is the quantitative deviation of the <q>-prefix distribution from the original VMS text" (Timm & Schinner 2019, p. 15).
To keep the algorithm simple the app is using words from previous paragraph initial lines as source words for generating paragraph initial lines and source words from the same page otherwise (see Timm & Schinner, 12). This way the app only needs a singe line of text as initialization parameter. As a result words from other pages are only introduced in paragraph initial lines and therefore it is expected that the second line is closer to the initial line of a page than to the following lines.
If it comes to initial lines in the VMS we argue instead: "There was a similar problem for the author of the VMS every time he/she was starting a new (empty) page. In such a case it was probably useful to use another page as source. There is some evidence that the scribe preferred the last completed sheet for this purpose (see Timm 2015, p. 16)" (Timm & Schinner 2019, 11). It is unlikely that source words from the previous sheet were only used for generating initial lines: "One peculiarity for the words used seven or eight times is that they often appear on subsequent pages. For instance 'qodal' appears on four consecutive sheets: f51v, f52r, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and f54v. For the glyph groups which occur seven or eight times, this happens more often on subsequent sheets (37 times) than on the front- and back of a page (5 times)" (Timm 2015, p. 17). Another observation for paragraph initial lines is: "on some pages several paragraphs begin with similarly spelled glyph groups. For instance, on page You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. two paragraph initial groups ending with a final 'm'-glyph occur: <tsheoarom> in f3r.P.15 and <pcheoldom> in f3r.P.18. In the whole of the VMS, there are only seven paragraph initial groups with a final m-glyph. Therefore, it is remarkable that two of these occur on page f3r. Moreover, both groups are slightly similar to each other and it is possible to identify a possible source group for them on the same page in line f3r.P.9: <sheoldam>" (Timm 2015, p. 30f). (See also table XXIV. Similarities for paragraph initial glyph groups in Timm 2015, p. 95ff.) Because of this observations I come to the conclusion that the scribe was using tokens he was able to see as source words.
To keep the algorithm simple the app is using words from previous paragraph initial lines as source words for generating paragraph initial lines and source words from the same page otherwise (see Timm & Schinner, 12). This way the app only needs a singe line of text as initialization parameter. As a result words from other pages are only introduced in paragraph initial lines and therefore it is expected that the second line is closer to the initial line of a page than to the following lines.
If it comes to initial lines in the VMS we argue instead: "There was a similar problem for the author of the VMS every time he/she was starting a new (empty) page. In such a case it was probably useful to use another page as source. There is some evidence that the scribe preferred the last completed sheet for this purpose (see Timm 2015, p. 16)" (Timm & Schinner 2019, 11). It is unlikely that source words from the previous sheet were only used for generating initial lines: "One peculiarity for the words used seven or eight times is that they often appear on subsequent pages. For instance 'qodal' appears on four consecutive sheets: f51v, f52r, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and f54v. For the glyph groups which occur seven or eight times, this happens more often on subsequent sheets (37 times) than on the front- and back of a page (5 times)" (Timm 2015, p. 17). Another observation for paragraph initial lines is: "on some pages several paragraphs begin with similarly spelled glyph groups. For instance, on page You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. two paragraph initial groups ending with a final 'm'-glyph occur: <tsheoarom> in f3r.P.15 and <pcheoldom> in f3r.P.18. In the whole of the VMS, there are only seven paragraph initial groups with a final m-glyph. Therefore, it is remarkable that two of these occur on page f3r. Moreover, both groups are slightly similar to each other and it is possible to identify a possible source group for them on the same page in line f3r.P.9: <sheoldam>" (Timm 2015, p. 30f). (See also table XXIV. Similarities for paragraph initial glyph groups in Timm 2015, p. 95ff.) Because of this observations I come to the conclusion that the scribe was using tokens he was able to see as source words.