# On the relation between dependency distance, crossing dependencies, and parsing. Comment on "Dependency distance: a new perspective on syntactic patterns in natural languages" by Haitao Liu et al

## TL;DR

This paper discusses the relationship between dependency distance, crossing dependencies, and parsing, highlighting how computational linguistics can inform and enhance understanding of syntactic patterns in natural languages.

## Contribution

It expands on Liu et al.'s work by exploring unexplored intersections between dependency distance research and computational linguistics, aiming to improve language understanding models.

## Key findings

- Identifies gaps between linguistic and computational approaches.
- Suggests potential for cross-disciplinary insights to improve language models.
- Proposes directions for future research in dependency parsing.

## Abstract

Liu et al. (2017) provide a comprehensive account of research on dependency distance in human languages. While the article is a very rich and useful report on this complex subject, here I will expand on a few specific issues where research in computational linguistics (specifically natural language processing) can inform DDM research, and vice versa. These aspects have not been explored much in the article by Liu et al. or elsewhere, probably due to the little overlap between both research communities, but they may provide interesting insights for improving our understanding of the evolution of human languages, the mechanisms by which the brain processes and understands language, and the construction of effective computer systems to achieve this goal.