computational system

In the MINIMALIST PROGRAMME, a term used for the set of operations required by the process of SENTENCE composition (DERIVATION). Computation involves the SYNTACTIC combination of LEXICAL items and the construction of REPRESENTATIONS in LOGICAL FORM and PHONETIC FORM. The system builds structures by selecting elements from the NUMERATION and combining them in various ways to form individual subtrees; these are ultimately combined (‘merged’) into a single TREE. The computational process is constrained by various ECONOMY principles, such as shortest MOVE, PROCRASTINATE and GREED.