{"pk":49776,"title":"Learning Efficient Recursive Numeral Systems via Reinforcement Learning","subtitle":null,"abstract":"It has previously been shown that by using reinforcement learning (RL), agents can derive simple approximate and exact-restricted numeral systems that are similar to human ones (Carlsson, 21). However, it is a major challenge to show how more complex recursive numeral systems, similar to for example English, could arise via a simple learning mechanism such as RL.\nHere, we introduce an approach towards deriving a mechanistic explanation of the emergence of efficient recursive number systems. We consider pairs of agents learning how to communicate about numerical quantities through a meta-grammar that can be gradually modified throughout the interactions. \nUtilising a slightly modified version of the meta-grammar of Hurford (1975), we demonstrate that our RL agents, shaped by the pressures for efficient communication, can effectively modify their lexicon towards Pareto-optimal configurations which are comparable to those observed within human numeral systems in terms of their efficiency.","language":"eng","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[{"word":"Artificial Intelligence; Linguistics; Language acquisition; Representation; Agent-based Modeling"}],"section":"Papers with Poster Presentation","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3cc5053z","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"Andrea","middle_name":"","last_name":"Silvi","name_suffix":"","institution":"Chalmers University of Technology","department":""},{"first_name":"Jonathan","middle_name":"","last_name":"Thomas","name_suffix":"","institution":"Chalmers University of Technology","department":""},{"first_name":"Emil","middle_name":"","last_name":"Carlsson","name_suffix":"","institution":"Chalmers University of Technology","department":""},{"first_name":"Devdatt","middle_name":"","last_name":"Dubhashi","name_suffix":"","institution":"Chalmers University of Technology","department":""},{"first_name":"Moa","middle_name":"","last_name":"Johansson","name_suffix":"","institution":"Chalmers University of Technology","department":""}],"date_submitted":null,"date_accepted":null,"date_published":"2025-01-01T18:00:00Z","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"PDF","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cognitivesciencesociety/article/49776/galley/37738/download/"}]}