A COMPUTATIONAL MODEL OF VERBAL UNDERSTANDING

reportActive / Technical Report | Accession Number: AD0672782 | Open PDF

Abstract:

This paper presents a theory of verbal understanding based on a formal model of conceptual structures that represent verbal meanings expressed in English sentences. Verbal understanding is defined as the capability for disambiguation, paraphrase, question answering, translation, etc., with regard to natural language sentences. The model has been implemented as Protosynthex 3 in LISP on the Q-32 time-shared system. Experimental results from the system include examples of the analysis of complex sentences, disambiguation of multisensed words via sentence context, question answering via logical inference, and meaning-preserving paraphrase generation. The authors conclude that sophisticated natural language processing by computers is a realistic goal that has been partly achieved.

Author(s):
Simmons, Robert F. ; Schwarcz, Robert M. ; Burger, John F.
Author Organization(s):
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CORP SANTA MONICA CA
Supplementary Note:
DOI: 10.21236/AD0672782
Pagination:
0055

Security Markings

DOCUMENT & CONTEXTUAL SUMMARY

Distribution:
Approved For Public Release
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited.

RECORD

Collection: TR
Identifying Numbers
Report Number(s):
SDC-SP-3132
Monitor Series:
DARPA
 Subject Terms
Joint Capability Areas:
JCA_1.2.6_Concepts; JCA_1.2_Force Preparation; JCA_1_Force Support; JCA_5_Command and Control; JCA_5.3_Planning; JCA_1.2.5_Lessons Learned; JCA_1.2.7_Experimentation; JCA_6.1_Information Transport; JCA_6_Net Centric
Communities of Interest:
Sensors
Descriptor(s):
*COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS, MATHEMATICAL MODELS, COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, SEMANTICS, SYNTAX, ENGLISH LANGUAGE, PHRASE STRUCTURE GRAMMARS, VOICE COMMUNICATIONS, VOCABULARY, TIME SHARING, ANALOG SYSTEMS
Field(s)/Group(s):
Linguistics, Computer Programming and Software, Computer Systems
Keyword(s):
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION, LISP LANGUAGE
Report Date:
1968 Apr 30