The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Daniel Mailman will present Doctoral (PhD) research titled, Gesture-Efficient Global Language Input Methods on 10/09/2026 at 1:00–2:30 p.m. Eastern Time in Online via Zoom: https://tennessee.zoom.us/my/dmailman. Everyone is invited to attend.
Computational Science
Chair: Yu Liang
Co-Chair: Dalei Wu
Abstract:
A central task of computer hardware and software is text entry: sending units of human written language to applications such as word processors and spreadsheets. Input units range from individual lexons (Unicode characters) to lexemes (words and set phrases). Standard QWERTY keyboards directly access a limited set of lexons and are used to assemble lexemes one lexon at a time. Non-QWERTY lexons and lexemes often require (e.g.) layout switching, dead-key composition, candidate lists, memorized codes, or relatively sophisticated software input methods (IMEs). This dissertation presents µLex, a framework for gesture-efficient IMEs. Supplemental gesture semantics distinguish alternative QWERTY key actuations, notably longpresses: sustained presses distinguished by key-down duration. µLex IMEs are designed to coexist with application and operating-system functionality, support immediate usability, and enable touch-typing over time. Five IME implementation case studies progress from direct character selection to branching character selection to orthographic lexeme selection to romanized lexeme selection. µTeclas maps QWERTY cues directly to Spanish letters and symbols, supporting keyboard selection with optional display guidance. µLetras adds a mouse-selectable display. µVietChu addresses Vietnamese text entry, where initial cues correspond to multiple targets; display-guided cue sequences resolve the ambiguity. The framework also accommodates input sets such as German, Esperanto, pan-European characters, and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). µWords and µ?? (cíyu) ‘words’ extend the framework to English and Mandarin lexemes through display-guided selection models and browser prototypes constructed from frequency lists and romanization data. English spellings and toneless pinyin forms provide QWERTY-accessible cues; other romanization systems provide equivalent cues for other languages. Lexeme frequencies guide access, with more frequent lexemes requiring fewer gestures. Across this progression, the dissertation relates cue/target mapping designs to gestural efficiency (GE), measured by gestures per Unicode character (GPU) and gestures per lexeme (GPL), with reciprocal Unicode characters per gesture (UPG) and lexemes per gesture (LPG). Cumulative corpus coverage (CCC) expresses the percentage of the evaluated inventory’s total frequency weight selectable within successive gesture budgets. Together, these measures characterize gesture requirements and coverage within the stated inventories.