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{\Large \bf Grammars and Lexicons: 11-721\\
Fall Term, 2003 \\
Extra Credit Homework}
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\section{Due Date}

\noindent
You can hand in extra credit homework any time before November 1.

\section{Grading}

\noindent
We have not yet decided how the extra credit homework will affect your
grade.  

\section{The Assignment: Linguistic Olympics}

\begin{itemize}
\item The Linguistic Olympics is a contest for high school students.  It
consists of linguistic puzzles in a variety of languages.  Supposedly,
you do not need to know any linguistics to solve the problems, but see
my notes below.  

\item The Linguistic Olympics web site seems to be under construction, but
you can find the problems at this web page:
http://www.uoregon.edu/~tpayne/lingolym/

\item The problems are classified as easy, intermediate, and hard, but
unfortunately you can't see the rating because the web page is under
construction.  

\item For extra credit, follow these steps:
\begin{itemize}
\item Choose any problem(s).
\item Work on it as long as you want to.
\item There should be a link at the bottom of each problem page that
says.  ``Email your solution to Tom Payne and I'll tell you how you
did!'' Please cc me (lsl@cs.cmu.edu) on your email and ask Tom to cc
me on the reply.
\item I don't know Tom Payne, but he is probably a busy professor at
University of Oregon, so please be considerate about the time it will
take him to look at your answers.  Please send only serious attempts.
\item DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THE PROBLEM.
\end{itemize}

\end{itemize}


\section{Can you really do these problems without knowing
linguistics?}

As a sanity check, I asked some LTI faculty who are not linguists to
try some of the Linguistic Olympic problems.  One problem was solved
quickly by everyone (five non-linguists and me).  Everyone got the
correct answer, but the non-linguists used different methods than a
linguist would use.  Another problem was attempted by three LTI
faculty --- me and two non-linguists.  The two non-linguists gave up
before finding the solution.  It was not hard for me to solve.

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