Computers and Human Language / Edition 1

by George W. Smith

Overview

Offering an inquiry into the nature of language from the perspective of computing, Computers and Human Language synthesizes recent research in linguistics, computer science, and experimental psychology as it explores the major computational approaches to language, especially the modeling of processes by which language is comprehended. Among the topics considered are the computationally symbolic basis of language, lexicons as repositories of information, automated text processing, phonology, phototactics, speech synthesis and the persisting challenge of continuous speech, transformational grammars and their successors, linguistic and conceptual approaches to sentence meaning, and discourse coherence and plan-based bridging inferences. The book also explores such up-to-the-minute subjects as neurally-inspired computing, parsing and psychological plausibility, the controversial representation hypothesis, and the ramifications of discourse "focus."
With its clear, engaging style and gradual, systematic exposition, Computers and Human Language makes the fast-moving world of computational linguistics accessible to the non-specialist reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195062823
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	02/21/1991
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	6.19(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.35(d)

About the Author

University of Massachusetts, Boston

Editorial Reviews

"Looks quite good, and seems well suited to my course, an introduction to parsing and linguistic theory for graduate linguistics students with little or no computational background."—Stanley Starosta, University of Hawaii

"A well-written introduction to computational linguistics. I am particularly impressed by the broad range of topics covered...The list of references is also comprehensive."—Martin Volk, University of Koblenz

"A beautiful treatment of computational linguistics from the computer sciences point of view."—Robert F. Simmons, University of Texas

"Very well-organized....Covers the full range of computational linguistics."—Peter Jeang, Bloomfield College

"The book's coverage is...impressive, both in terms of its depth and the breadth of the topics covered....Smith's grasp of the field and bibliographic thoroughness are remarkable. His references are all up-to-date and carefully chosen."—Word

"Smith...clearly has a good grasp of the broad-ranging and multidisciplinary subject matter covered in this book....His breadth of coverage is commendable and there is also considerable depth on several important topics."—Artificial Intelligence & Society

From the Publisher