Recent publications in linguistics with Gabriel Altmann since 2006
Some aspects of word frequencies, Glottometrics, vol. 13, 23-46 (2006) 1812 KB
Abstract: In the present article some new aspects of word frequency distributions are presented, namely the h-point, the k-point, the m-point, the n-point, the Lorenz curve and Gini�s coefficient, all of which characterize some properties of texts. Their relationship to the measurement of vocabulary richness is scrutinized. It is an attempt at transferring some views from other domains of science to linguistics. 
Some geometric properties of word frequency distributions, Göttinger Beitr. Sprachwiss., Heft 13, 87-98 (2006) 830 KB
Abstract: The present article shows two complementary methods for estimating the technique of word exploitation (repetition) with a given vocabulary. For the sake of simplicity word forms are counted. The methods are based on the geometric properties of the rank-frequency distribution and the frequency spectrum.
On the dynamics of word classes in text, Glottometrics, vol. 14, 58-71 (2007), also with Karl-Heinz Best 632 KB
Abstract: In this study, the distributions of certain parts of speech, especially auxiliaries, is investigated. Using the definition of the h-point, we define the thematic concentration of the text and introduce the concentration unit tcu.
Confidence intervals and tests for the h-point and related text characteristics, Glottometrics, vol. 15, 45-52 (2007), also with Ján Macutek 587 KB
Abstract: Confidence intervals and tests for recently introduced text characteristics (the h-point and its relatives) are derived. 
Writer´s view of text generation, Glottometrics, vol. 15, 71-81 (2007) 1259 KB
Abstract: Generally, a �writer�s view�, defined by the angle between the ends of the word rank-frequency distribution, as seen from the h-point, should be limited in the interval [pi/2, pi]. However, as shown in the present paper with 176 texts from 20 languages, actually the lower limit appears to be the golden number Phi = 1.618... , rather than pi/2 = 1.57... 
Text ranking by the weight of highly frequent words, In: Exact methods in the study of language and text, Grzybek, P., Köhler, R. (eds), Berlin / New York: de Gruyter, pp. 553-562 (accepted December 2005, published July 2007) 208 KB
Excerpt: ... The present work is aimed to bring empirical arguments for the transfer of the h-index concept from scientometrics to linguistics, in other words, to switch the problem from paper citation ranking to word frequency ranking. Three main classes of web text sources were used for this purpose, namely The Bible, classical works, and Nobel lectures. ... In summary, a simple and objective measure is proposed for text evaluation by a single criterion, namely the percent of the cumulated number of the first h decreasingly ranked words out of the total word count. Any (electronic) text can be evaluated in this way in a matter of seconds.
Zipf´s mean and language typology, Glottometrics 16, 31-37 (2008)  201 KB
Abstract: Zipf's law is not only an expression of the rank-frequency relationship of words but it also enables us to make statements about some morphological features of  language, too. In the present study, several indicators are proposed and their mutual relations are studied, The data are taken from 20 languages.
Some problems of musical texts, Glottometrics vol. 16, 80-110 (2008), also with Zuzana Martináková and Ján Macutek 1359 KB
Abstract: The aim of this article is to find fixed points and regularities in musical texts, set up statistical tests for their comparison and observe their development. The analysis is based on rank-frequency distributions of pitches. The following indicators are described: the h-point and its angle, the a-indicator, the H-point and the H-coverage having an affinity to the golden section, and the A-ratio. Different curves capturing the trends are proposed. The analysis has been performed on 266 compositions of 12 European composers from Palestrina to Ligeti.
Autosemantic compactness of  texts, printed in �Problems of General, Germanic and Slavic Linguistics�, Papers for 70th anniversary of Professor V. Levickij, Chernivtsi: Books - XXI, pp 472 - 480 (2008)
Abstract: In the article some new concepts of text building based on the h-point are introduced, namely the thematic concentration considering the proportion of autosemantics above the h-point, autosemantic pace filling expressing the proportions of autosemantics in h-intervals, and autosemantic compactness being a function of the parameters of the exponential curve representing the pace filling. Tests for comparing texts are proposed.
On diversity of word frequencies and language typology, Göttinger Beitr. Sprachwiss., Heft 14, 83-91 (2007)
Abstract: In the article it will be shown that different morphological structures of languages give rise to different word frequency distributions. The forms of the distributions evaluated by means of repeat rate and entropy show that strongly synthetic and strongly analytic languages are situated on the two poles of a continuous scale.