Ph.D. Vladimir Petrov Kostov
2014
Definition. Suppose that two words contain respectively m and n letters, where n is greater than or equal to m. Suppose that they have exactly p letters in common counted with the possible repetitions. Then the correlation between the two words is equal to p/m. For instance, the correlation between the words « Italy » and « Sicily » is 3/5 (one has m=5, n=6 and p=3). The one between the words « Aix » and « Paris » is 2/3 (m=3, n=5, p=2). In any case the correlation remains a purely formally defined quantity. When the resemblance between two words is discussed one takes into account also the fact whether the first letters (eventually the first vowels) are the same and/or whether the letters in common are in the same order. Then comes the delicate question about spelling and pronunciation. This might raise the question whether the letters « s » and « ç » should be distinguished or not. But let's illustrate first the notions of correlation and resemblance by some examples. The resemblance between the names of (Aimé-Joseph) Darnand, head of the French Militia during the German occupation in World War II, and of the admiral (Jean Louis Xavier François) Darlan, commander of the army, navy and air force during the same period, is evident – except the correlation of 5/6, their first three letters are the same and the order of the letters in common is also the same. These are the names of two men having commanded military or paramilitary forces and who have remained known for their collaboration with the Nazi regime. This collaboration was the reason why they have lost their lives – Darnand has been sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Justice on October 3rd 1945 and executed a week later while Darlan has been shot by the royalist student Bonnier de la Chapelle. The last names of (Tadeusz Andrzej Bonawentura) Kosciuszko and (Lajos) Kossuth begin with the same first three letters and have a correlation of 5/7. These are names of persons having led a rebellion – Kosciusz
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