A DEDUCTIVE QUESTION ANSWERER FOR NATURAL-LANGUAGE INFERENCE,
Abstract
The paper describes and exemplifies in detail the question-answering aspects of the Protosynthex III prototype language processing system, which is written in LISP 1.5 and operates on the Q-32 time-sharing system. The system's data structures and their semantic organization, the deductive question-answering formalism of relational properties and complex-relation-forming operators, and the question-answering procedures which employ these features in their operation are all described and illustrated. Examples of the system's performance and of the limitations of its question-answering capability are presented and discussed. It is shown that the use of semantic information in deductive question answering greatly facilitates the process, and that a top-down procedure which works from question to answer enables effective use to be made of this information. It is concluded that the development of Protosynthex III into a practically useful system to work with large data bases is possible but will require changes in both the data structures and the algorithms used for question answering. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 15, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0681531
Entities
People
- John F. Burger
- Robert F. Simmons
- Robert M. Schwarcz
Organizations
- System Development Corporation