Dynamic Interpretation of Natural Language

DYANA-2 - 6852

Work Area: Speech and Natural Language

Keywords natural language processing, grammar, syntax, semantics, reasoning

Start Date: 1 October 92 / Duration: 36 months / Status: running

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Abstract The project is concerned with the foundations of natural language interpretation and its consequences for knowledge representation, focusing on the themes of partial information and dynamic interpretation, with attention to the goal of developing a formal theory of natural language interpretation which admits computational implementation. DYANA II is a continuation of DYANA (3175).

Aims

The specific objectives of DYANA-2 are four-fold: (i) To determine those aspects of the structure of information states which are relevant to natural language interpretation; (ii) To examine specific semantic and pragmatic phenomena which currently prevent the effective use of natural language in human-computer interaction; (iii) To develop sufficient understanding of the logical and computational properties of sign-based grammar architectures to allow application across all components of the grammar; (iv) To demonstrate the utility of sign-based grammar architecture by providing a principled account of cross-linguistic variation.

Approach and Methods

Research is carried out on an interdisciplinary, collaborative basis drawing on concepts and tools from linguistics, logic, artificial intelligence and computer science. The work is divided into three interdependent themes:

• Grammar Architecture , in which the formalisations of the sign-based approach are developed, thus enabling study of the abstract specification and parametric variation of linguistic structure within a computational setting. Here we aim to further the work in DYANA-1 on sign-based grammars, regarding both categorial type systems and unification based theories.
• Interpretation in Context , in which the further development of the outlook on meaning developed in DYANA-1 is addressed, and its application to phenomena such as quantification, anaphora, ellipsis, tense and aspect, questions, presupposition and modal subordination.
• Implementation and Integration , in which the aim is to show the feasibility of using the results from these theoretical investigations in the design of real-life computational applications. This will involve work in the maturing paradigm of computational syntax and the relatively underdeveloped field of computational semantics. It intends to give direction to work on integrating the two.

Progress and Results

In its first year the DYANA consortium has shown results in the following areas:

• Grammar Architecture: the solution to spurious ambiguity in the Lambek calculus, substructural categorial logic, second-order Lambek calculus, categorical polymorphism, constraint-based linguistic description
• Interpretation in Context: integrating dynamic and update semantics, simultaneous abstraction in situation theory, generalised quantifiers and plural anaphora, scope properties of indefinites, presupposition
• Implementation and Integration: implementation of the constraint-based unification formalism, implementation of a DRT fragment using situation theory

Potential

The research themes that constitute the DYANA project aim to meet some of the challenges that lie ahead on the way towards computer systems that use natural language. Although the major aim of the project is to carry out fundamental research in natural language processing, work is also directed towards the development of prototypes and proof-of-concept implementations. A DYANA Newsletter is published which contains up to date information about recent publications, new deliverables, and DYANA-related workshops.

Latest Publications

• Chierchia G Anaphora and Dynamic Binding Linguistics and Philosophy 15, pp 111-184 (1992)
• Groenendijk J, Stokhof M Dynamic Predicate Logic, In: The Philosopher's Annual, Volume XIV-1991
• Grim P, Ludlow P, Mar G (eds.) Atascadero (CA) Ridgeview Publishing Company, pp 67-128 (1993)
• Kamp H, Reyle U From Discourse to Logic Volume I, Dordrecht, Kluwer (1993)
• Zeevat H Presupposition and Accomodation in Update Semantics Journal of Semantics 9, pp 379-412 (1992)

Information Dissemination Activies

A DYANA Newsletter is published every six months which contains up to date information about recent publications, new deliverables, and DYANA related workshops. At relevant occassions members of the DYANA consortium make DYANA more widely known using The Hyperdyana Illustration Set.

Coordinator

Universiteit van Amsterdam - NL
Institute for Language, Logic and Computation
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 15
NL - 1012 CP Amsterdam

Partners

Universität München - D
Universität Stuttgart - D
Universität Tübingen - D
University of Oslo - N
Universiteit van Utrecht - NL
University of Edinburgh - UK

CONTACT POINT

Dr. F. Veltman
tel +31/20 525 4564
fax +31/20 525 4503
e-mail: veltman@illc.uva.nl

DYANA-2 - 6852, August 1994

please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk

html version of synopsis by Nick Cook