l[ingusitic] system v1.0b
An experimental online mapping application, the l[inguistic] system map applies the recursive morphological growth algorithm of the Lindemayer system (l-system) to the linguistic structure of written narratives as a mechanism for visualizing the often fractaline structure of descriptive prose. Attempting to leverage the increasing amount of electronic texts and books online, the website allows the user to input the URL of an electronic text, or to cut-and-paste the text of a story, and creates a visualization of the branching structure of the prose by interpreting punctuation and syntax.
"Lindemayer system" is a term used to describe fractal growth algorithms that operate using a 'linguistic' mechanism. This mechanism maps linguistic rules sets to morphological behaviors, simulating growth of biological systems such as algae and plants. For this project the process was reversed, assuming that an english text had an inherent rule structure within it, rules of basic grammar, then a branching form could be generated from it - creating a branching map of the prose.
The l[inguistic] system map is a beta release, any comments or suggestions on interface and functionality are welcome.