Dynamics of Speech

Undergraduate

Systems that change over time, from particles to climates to stock markets, are often well described as Dynamical Systems. Speech, like many aspects of human behavior, involve action and perception components, which are mediated and related by the central nervous system. Each of these components unfolds over time according to laws, which can be formulated using dynamical systems theory. This class provides an introduction to the types of dynamical systems that have been proposed to describe and explain human speech behavior, including (1) articulatory kinematics, i.e., the movements of speech organs such as the tongue, lips, vocal folds, etc., (2) neural activity governing intention and control, and (3) auditory transduction and perception of speech sound waves. The course makes use of key concepts from calculus, particularly differential equations. Review of the necessary math will be provided in class. Most homework assignments involve light coding in the Matlab environment. No previous experience with Matlab is required; however, we expect students to have some familiarity with basic coding concepts (functions, loops, variables, matrices). Please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions about preparation. SO TTh 1:05pm-2:20pm