A Computational Model of Natural Language Communication: Interpretation, Inference, and Production in Database Semantics

✍ Scribed by Roland Hausser

• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 365
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The ideal of using human language to control machines requires a practical theory of natural language communication that includes grammatical analysis of language signs, plus a model of the cognitive agent, with interfaces for recognition and action, an internal database, and an algorithm for reading content in and out. This book offers a functional framework for theoretical analysis of natural language communication and for practical applications of natural language processing.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 9
Introduction......Page 13
Part I. The Communication Mechanism of Cognition......Page 19
1.1 Sign- or Agent-Oriented Analysis of Language?......Page 20
1.2 Verification Principle......Page 22
1.3 Equation Principle......Page 24
1.4 Objectivation Principle......Page 25
1.5 Equivalence Principles for Interfaces and for Input/Output......Page 27
1.6 Surface Compositionality and Time-Linearity......Page 28
2.1 Cognitive Agents with and without Language......Page 32
2.2 Modalities and Media......Page 34
2.3 Alternative Ontologies for Referring with Language......Page 36
2.4 Theory of Language and Theory of Grammar......Page 37
2.5 Immediate Reference and Mediated Reference......Page 38
2.6 The SLIM Theory of Language......Page 40
3.1 Proplets for Coding Propositional Content......Page 46
3.2 Internal Matching between Language and Context Proplets......Page 47
3.3 Storage of Proplets in a Word Bank......Page 49
3.4 Time-Linear Algorithm of LA-Grammar......Page 51
3.5 Cycle of Natural Language Communication......Page 54
3.6 Bare Bone Example of Database Semantics: DBS-letter......Page 57
4.1 Kinds of Proplets......Page 62
4.2 Type–Token Relation for Establishing Reference......Page 65
4.3 Context Recognition......Page 68
4.4 Context Action......Page 69
4.5 Sign Recognition and Production......Page 70
4.6 Universal versus Language-Dependent Properties......Page 72
5.1 Retrieving Answers to Questions......Page 75
5.2 Episodic versus Absolute Propositions......Page 79
5.3 Inference: Reconstructing Modus Ponens......Page 81
5.4 Indirect Uses of Language......Page 85
5.5 Secondary Coding as Perspective Taking......Page 88
5.6 Shades of Meaning......Page 89
Part II. The Major Constructions of Natural Language......Page 93
6.1 Overview......Page 94
6.2 Determiners......Page 96
6.3 Adjectives......Page 101
6.4 Auxiliaries......Page 104
6.5 Passive......Page 105
6.6 Prepositions......Page 107
7.1 Overview......Page 110
7.2 Sentential Argument as Subject......Page 112
7.3 Sentential Argument as Object......Page 114
7.4 Adnominal Sentential Modifier with Subject Gap......Page 115
7.5 Adnominal Sentential Modifier with Object Gap......Page 118
7.6 Adverbial Sentential Modifier......Page 119
8.1 Overview......Page 122
8.2 Simple Coordination of Nouns in Subject and Object Position......Page 125
8.3 Simple Coordination of Verbs and of Adjectives......Page 130
8.4 Complex Coordination of Verbs and Objects: Subject Gapping......Page 133
8.5 Complex Coordination of Subjects and Objects: Verb Gapping......Page 137
8.6 Complex Coordination of Subjects and Verbs: Object Gapping......Page 140
9.1 Overview......Page 144
9.2 Interpretation and Production of Extrapropositional Coordination......Page 145
9.3 Simple Coordinations as Sentential Arguments and Modifiers......Page 148
9.4 Complex Coordinations as Sentential Arguments and Modifiers......Page 154
9.5 Turn-Taking in Questions and Answers......Page 160
9.6 Complex Propositions as Thought Structures......Page 164
10.1 Overview......Page 168
10.2 Intrapropositional Coreference......Page 170
10.3 Langacker–Ross Constraint for Sentential Arguments......Page 172
10.4 Langacker–Ross Constraint for Adnominal Sentential Modifiers......Page 175
10.5 Langacker–Ross Constraint for Adverbial Sentential Modifiers......Page 178
10.6 Handling Pronominal Coreference by Means of Inference......Page 181
Part III. The Declarative Specification of Formal Fragments......Page 186
11.1 Automatic Word Form Recognition......Page 187
11.2 Lexicon of LA-hear.1......Page 189
11.3 Preamble of LA-hear.1......Page 191
11.4 Definition of LA-hear.1......Page 192
11.5 Interpreting a Sequence of Sentences......Page 195
11.6 Storing the Output of LA-hear.1 in a Word Bank......Page 199
12.1 Definition of LA-think.1......Page 201
12.2 Navigating with LA-think.1......Page 203
12.3 Automatic Word Form Production......Page 206
12.4 Definition of LA-speak.1......Page 207
12.5 Producing a Sequence of Sentences......Page 208
12.6 Summarizing the DBS.1 System......Page 211
13.1 Lexicon of LA-hear.2......Page 213
13.2 Preamble and Definition of LA-hear.2......Page 220
13.3 Interpreting a Sentence with Complex Noun Phrases......Page 224
13.4 Interpreting a Sentence with a Complex Verb Phrase......Page 230
13.5 Interpreting a Sentence with a Three-Place Verb......Page 233
13.6 Storing the Output of LA-hear.2 in a Word Bank......Page 238
14.1 Definition of LA-think.2......Page 241
14.2 Definition of LA-speak.2......Page 244
14.3 Automatic Word Form Production......Page 247
14.4 Producing a Sentence with Complex Noun Phrases......Page 253
14.5 Producing a Sentence with a Complex Verb Phrase......Page 258
14.6 Producing a Sentence with a Three-Place Verb......Page 262
15.1 Interpreting Elementary and Complex Modifiers......Page 267
15.2 ADN and ADA Interpretations of Prepositional Phrases......Page 276
15.3 ADV Interpretation of Prepositional Phrases......Page 281
15.4 Intensifiers in Noun Phrases and Prepositional Phrases......Page 286
15.5 Elementary Adverbs with Intensifiers......Page 292
15.6 Definition of LA-hear.3......Page 295
Appendices......Page 304
A.1 Overview of the Basic Railroad System......Page 305
A.2 Incremental Language Production Based on Navigation......Page 309
A.3 Realizing Alternative Word Orders from One-Place Propositions......Page 312
A.4 Realizing Basic SO Word Orders from Two-Place Propositions......Page 314
A.5 Realizing OS Word Orders from Alternative Navigations......Page 318
A.6 Realizing Basic Word Orders from Three-Place Propositions......Page 320
B.1 Start State Application......Page 323
B.2 Matching between Proplet Patterns and Language Proplets......Page 326
B.3 Time-Linear Breadth-First Derivation Order......Page 328
B.4 Rule Application and the Basic Structure of the LA-Hear Motor......Page 329
B.5 Operations......Page 332
B.6 Basic Structure of the LA-Think and the LA-Think–Speak Motor......Page 334
C.2 Proplet Values......Page 337
C.3 Variables, Restrictions, and Agreement Conditions......Page 339
C.5 Rule Names......Page 341
C.6 List of Analyzed Examples......Page 343
Bibliography......Page 348
H......Page 358
S......Page 359
Y......Page 360
C......Page 361
I......Page 362
P......Page 363
S......Page 364
Y......Page 365