Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 274 - 274 54 Language and Mathematics

274: Chapter 54 Language and Mathematics 274: Chapter 54 Language and Mathematics “…Soth viewed language as a dual-aspect existence.

On one hand, it is a set of unchangeable rules for using symbols, fixed by society and culture; on the other hand, it is a structure that can be used creatively to represent meaning…”

“His interpretation of linguistics, led to its development in two different directions.

On a concrete level, linguistics rushed down the path of psychology and anthropology.

Meanwhile, axiomatic, formalist mathematical concepts were naturally introduced into this field…”

“…The mathematician Axel Tue was the first to clearly express the abstract formal rules that describe the structure of language.

Initially, he represented these rules as a ‘grammar generation’ of the form ‘x→y’, meaning ‘every x in a word can be replaced by y’.

Tue described ‘grammar’ as a collection of grammar generations of this form, and based on this collection, he presented the ‘Word Problem’ in natural languages, that is, ‘determining whether any two words can be transformed into each other using the grammar generations in the mentioned set’…”

“…Before the invention of computers, mathematicians had already drawn a conclusion.

Expressed in post-computer terms, it is: Languages that adopt Tue Grammar are precisely those that can be generated using any ordinary computer programming language.

In other words, simple grammar generation is enough to describe all ‘types’—to describe all types of formal or mechanical languages that the most complex computer programs can depict…”

“…Noam Chomsky made another attempt.

He tried to provide a complete depiction of English using Tue Grammar…”

“That…” Yuki timidly raised his hand, interrupting Xiang Shan’s narrative, “May I ask what ‘English’ is?”

Xiang Shan was startled.

In that instant, he felt something unusual.

In his reasoning, Yuki’s words still bore meaning.

However, in his sentiment, the skill of “language” was stripped away.

He felt he was hearing a variation in the sound waves—nothing more than that.

Perhaps everyone has experienced this sensation.

Suddenly, you find the syllable of a common word strange, or you look at the structure of a known familiar character and feel an unusual unfamiliarity.

This feeling was magnified infinitely in Xiang Shan at that moment.

It was as if some mysterious veil had been lifted, and a stark fact laid bare before Xiang Shan—Yuki did not know what “English” was.

The language spoken by the people of this era belonged to none of the languages of the Old Era, yet it was a result of a mix of numerous language remnants.

Its grammar was bizarre and arbitrary.

If a person from Republic in the twenty-first century were to listen, this style of language would sound like…

“Bodhisattva, based on the perfection of wisdom, has no obstructions in his mind, no obstructions hence no fear, far removed from upside-down dreamlike thoughts, ultimately Nirvana.

All Buddhas of the three times, based on the perfection of wisdom, attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi,” a mishmash of foreign and strange grammar.

Xiang Shan had actually never paid attention to this issue.

When he had just awakened, he understood nothing.

And the highly developed Soth Divine Realm had endowed him with unmatched linguistic abilities—every Internal Strength Master in this aspect was stronger than Ingrid Granat of the Natural Person era.

Moreover, this language was a fusion product of the Old Era languages.

He had mastered it unconsciously as if it were his mother tongue.

He had never been aware of this issue.

Only, the memory given to him by Tao Enhai passively stimulated his memories of Ingrid.

The knowledge of linguistics suddenly revived like an awakening hibernator.

The overlooked “reality” suddenly slapped his face.

—Following the naming style of “Haitian Creole”, is this…

World Creole?

Xiang Shan captured another sound wave.

Its meaning was…

[Master (interrogative tone).]

“Master?” Yuki called out again.

“Ah,” Xiang Shan responded.

He clutched his head.

Intense pain struck again.

Xiang Shan realized that he had inadvertently let his language functions “go offline”.

Things in human cognition might actually be far removed from “nature”.

In reality, there are no “meaningful words”, just “modulated mechanical waves in air,” only human culture has endowed certain frequencies of these mechanical waves with “meaning”.

Just as there are no administrative boundaries on the earth, pure mechanical waves also lack “meaning”.

The human ability to recognize language allows one to extract encoded information from a string of mechanical waves.

This information is then converted by some function of the human brain.

And those proficient in Internal Strength can more actively control this ability.

But this is more a technique used for meditative calming of the mind.

Just now, Xiang Shan’s function had autonomously activated uncontrollably.

And what followed was a headache.

His long sleep (if he indeed was “Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan” himself, then this “long” might have been as much as two hundred years) had not been without damage.

Perhaps the concussion during the breakout also played a part.

Xiang Shan’s brain indeed suffered some minor trauma.

However, the cyberization liberated most of the neural tissues that control the physical body, and the cultivation of Internal Strength then “reallocated” these neural tissues.

A trained brain far exceeds the needs for controlling a Prosthetic Body.

Even with the damage, it only manifested when Xiang Shan fully exerted his Internal Strength.

And now, the memories of founders like Zhu Xinyu and Ingrid Granat in Internal Strength were being recalled, leading to a significant rise in Xiang Shan’s Internal Strength as well.

For example, before this, Xiang Shan was in a state of “muscle strain behind the fat otaku.” The otaku knew nothing about exercise and did not engage his back muscles, so he was completely unaware of the injury.

But this fat otaku was actually an amnesiac athlete.

The moment he regained his memory, he started to move his muscles, and then he quickly realized the condition of his spine.

However, Xiang Shan’s situation was a bit more complicated.

After all, it was his brain that was injured.

Sometimes, Xiang Shan would unconsciously use some of the meditation techniques from Internal.

—There’s no way to fight in this condition…

Such a thought flashed through Xiang Shan’s mind.

[Master…]

Another series of atmospheric tremors.

Only then did Xiang Shan truly switch back to his normal mode of thinking.

Yuki asked, “Did you just mutter something about ‘Creole’?

What is ‘English’?

What is ‘Creole’?”

“‘English’ is…

an ancient language that’s hardly used anymore?” Xiang Shan held his head, “Creole…”

—Creole does not have such a strict definition.

However, as a concept below “mixed language,” it also meets several criteria.

First, Creole must undergo a unique evolutionary process, namely “people who speak different languages suddenly cohabitate and then create a communication method without grammar,” and “their children take this method of communication as their mother tongue and later complete its grammar.” Creoles have very distinct features; their grammar is very direct and simple.

Seychelles Creole, Haitian Creole, and Mauritian Creole are typical examples.

Since the dominant languages of Haitian Creole and Mauritian Creole are “French,” they can understand each other without training…

Memories burst forth suddenly.

Those were the things he recalled about Ingrid Granat through the memories of Tao Enhai.

Xiang Shan obviously could not explain using the same introduction as Ingrid Granat initially did; otherwise, he’d have to face the question, “What is French?”

But Yuki still didn’t quite understand.

To him, topics including “Tue Grammar,” “Word Problem,” and the “Formation of Creole” were too profound.

For Yuki to understand these issues with his current level would be just like “You’ve just learned arithmetic, now try to solve some calculus.”

In the end, Xiang Shan couldn’t explain clearly.

He simply patted Yuki’s head, “Alright…

you probably don’t understand yet.

Just remember it.

One day you will need it.”

Profound Internal Strength involves neuroscience, linguistics, mathematics, and information science.

It is a masterwork of these fields, a superb method for humans to harness cognitive abilities to control immense computing power.

If one were to reach the pinnacle in Internal Strength, they would inevitably need to grasp these historically glowing insights.

But that was only necessary at the “pinnacle.”

The reason Xiang Shan suddenly had the impulse to forcefully teach Yuki was precisely because of the sudden surge in memories.

He was organizing the scattered knowledge in his memory through teaching.

Just as in the past when he and his companions shared knowledge with each other to progress.

Now, it seemed that the effect might not be very good…

At this time, Yuan Wenren approached, “Senior, could you elaborate on this topic?”

At that moment, several people were squeezed inside the “Mule.” The place had reasonable soundproofing.

Yuan Wenren was also listening in.

For Yuan Wenren, who was slightly older and had a higher level of knowledge, the content that Xiang Shan recounted precisely scratched her itch.

Although she didn’t know the specific meaning of these contents, she could vaguely sense that this segment of lost history from before the Ascension War pointed directly to the path of Internal Strength.

Such specific content was now hard to come by.

Most heroes could only experience bits and pieces of it through “oral tradition.”

No one had informed Yuan Wenren about what had happened between Xiang Shan and Tao Enhai inside the circle.

Yuan Wenren didn’t know Xiang Shan’s specific identity.

But at this moment, she almost wanted to bow down to Xiang Shan in complete admiration.

The traditional culture of heroes originated from the community of World Openers.

Hence, heroes greatly revered the practice of mutual instruction among one another.

However, since human energy is ultimately limited.

Heroes mostly conduct guerrilla warfare in a lone wolf manner, so opportunities for systematic one-on-one explanations were rare.

Xiang Shan remained silent for a while longer and then sighed.