Nationality French Name Jean-Louis Dessalles | Alma mater Telecom ParisTech Fields Computer Science | |
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Known for Simplicity theoryKolmogorov complexity Books Why We Talk: The Evolutionary Origins of Language |
Jean louis dessalles un cogniticien l institut de france
Jean-Louis Dessalles (born in 1956 in Périgueux) is a French computer scientist and researcher in artificial intelligence and cognitive science, professor à Télécom ParisTech (Paris). He is best known for his contributions to the Simplicity theory and for his original theory about a possible political origin of language.
Contents
- Jean louis dessalles un cogniticien l institut de france
- Ecco gbi seminar jean louis dessalles simplicity theory part i
- Biography
- Research
- Publications
- References
Ecco gbi seminar jean louis dessalles simplicity theory part i
Biography

Dessalles was born in Périgueux in Southwestern France. He graduated from École Polytechnique in 1979 (promotion X76) and from Télécom ParisTech in 1981.
He is currently Professor of Computer Science at Télécom ParisTech, which is part of the University of Paris-Saclay.
Research
Jean-Louis Dessalles focuses on the quest for fundamental principles underlying the language faculty and its biological origins. His contribution to Simplicity theory was to show that complexity drop predicts narrative interest. He also designed a concise model of argumentative relevance. On the issue of human language evolutionary origins, he found that Costly signalling theory can explain how honest communication is possible among selfish agents.