NEW PROOFS OF OLD THEOREMS IN LOGIC AND FORMAL LINGUISTICS,

Abstract

Theorem 1 constructs, from any word problem in a semi-Thue system, an equivalent Post correspondence problem, showing the undecidability of the general Post correspondence problem. Theorem 2 constructs, from any Post correspondence problem, a minimal linear grammar which is ambiguous exactly if the Post correspondence problem has a solution, showing the undecidability of the general ambiguity problem. (Other standard undecidability results on phrase structure grammars are implied.) Theorem 3 constructs, from any word problem in a semi-Thue system, an ambiguity problem, combining the results of Theorem 1 and 2 by more direct means. No new results are presented, but standard proofs were shortened and constructions eliminated, combined, or simplified. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0660886

Entities

People

  • Robert W. Floyd

Organizations

  • Carnegie Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ambiguity
  • Computers
  • Construction
  • Contracts
  • Cooperation
  • Grammars
  • Linguistics
  • Morphology (Linguistics)
  • Phrase Structure Grammars
  • Social Sciences
  • Standards
  • Syntax

Readers

  • Computational Linguistics
  • Operations Research
  • Polymer Science and Engineering.