Measuring Plagiarism and Languages with Levenshtein Distance by Caitlan Fealing '19

Measuring Plagiarism and Languages with Levenshtein Distance by Caitlan Fealing ’19, Wednesday, February 27, 1 – 1:45 pm, Stetson Court Classroom 101, Mathematics Colloquium

Abstract:  Similar to the way visual pictures can be morphed from one image to another, the difference between words can be mapped utilizing a principle called the Levenshtein distance. This talk will describe the edit-distance algorithm used to calculate the Levenshtein distance and how the definition of a metric space applies in language. It will also describe how we can use subtypes of Levenshtein distance in practical applications, such as programs that check for plagiarism and word processing tools that aid in the correction of spelling errors.