Representation and Inference for Natural Language: A First Course in Computational Semantics

by Patrick Blackburn, Johan Bos

Overview

How can computers distinguish the coherent from the unintelligible, recognize new information in a sentence, or draw inferences from a natural language passage? Computational semantics is an exciting new field that seeks answers to these questions, and this volume is the first textbook wholly devoted to this growing subdiscipline. The book explains the underlying theoretical issues and fundamental techniques for computing semantic representations for fragments of natural language. This volume will be an essential text for computer scientists, linguists, and anyone interested in the development of computational semantics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781575864952
Publisher:	Center for the Study of Language and Inf
Publication date:	04/06/2005
Series:	Center for the Study of Language and Information - Lecture Notes
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Patrick Blackburn is director of research at INRIA, France's national organization for research in computer science. Johan Bos is senior researcher at the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.

Table of Contents

1. First-order logic
First-order logic
Three inference tasks
A first-order model checker
First-order logic and natural language
2. Lambda calculus
Compositionality
Two experiments
The lambda calculus
Implementing lambda calculus
Grammar engineering
3. Underspecified representations
Scope ambiguities
Montague's approach
Storage methods
Hole semantics
4. Propositional inference
From models to proofs
Propositional tableaus
Implementing propositional tableau
Propositional resolution
Implementing propositional resolution
Theoretical remarks
5. First-order inference
A first-order tableau system
Unification
Free-variable tableaus
Implementing free-variable tableaus
First-order resolution
Implementing first-order resolution
Off-the-shelf theorem provers
Model building
6. Putting it all together
Baby Curt
Rugrat Curt
Clever Curt
Sensitive Curt
Scrupulous Curt
Knowledgeable Curt
Helpful Curt
A. Running the software - FAQ
B. Propositional logic
C. Automated reasoning for first-order logic