This work represents what is arguably the most clear-minded and far-reaching current research program on the applications of formal learning theory to the problem of language acquisition.
Stefano Bertolo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tesar and Smolensky have done something remarkable here: they've managed to address an important topic in a way that's both formally rigorous and wonderfully accessible.
John J. McCarthy, Professor of Linguistics, University of Massachusetts
In this work, Tesar and Smolensky fruitfully extend their research program in Optimality-Theoretic learning theory to the crucial problem of learning 'hidden' structure: linguistic entities, such as foot structure and underlying representations, which cannot be directly detected in the learning data. This thoughful and novel work is strongly recommended to scholars in learnability theory, as well as to anyone with an interest in Optimality Theory.
Bruce Hayes, Department of Linguistics, UCLA
In Tesar and Smolensky's groundbreaking work, grammar learning is tied intimately and inextricably to the core principles of the underlying linguistic theory. Their success in this ambitious project is a beacon to all those who see learning as a central link between generative grammar and its interpretation as cognitive science.
Alan Price, Department of Linguistics and Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University