Using Data Compression to Build a Method for Statistically Verified Attribution of Literary Texts

Abstract

We consider the problems of the authorship of literary texts in the framework of the quantitative study of literature. This article proposes a methodology for authorship attribution of literary texts based on the use of data compressors. Unlike other methods, the suggested one gives a possibility to make statistically verified results. This method is used to solve two problems of attribution in Russian literature.

Keywords

• data compression
• authorship attribution of literary texts
• hypothesis testing
• quantitative study of literature