CRCT Colloquium, 2/9, Semantic Interpretation

To: logic@theory.LCS.MIT.EDU, types@theory.LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: CRCT Colloquium, 2/9, Semantic Interpretation
From: menke@harvard.harvard.edu (Baiba Menke)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 89 15:16:06 EST
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Date: Tue, 31 Jan 89 15:08:10 EST
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				 COLLOQUIUM

	      Semantic Interpretation as Constrained Deduction

			   Fernando C. N. Pereira
		       Artificial Intelligence Center
			      SRI International

			 Thursday, February 9, 1989
				    4  PM
		      Aiken Computation Laboratory 101
		    (Tea at 3:30 pm Aiken Basement Lobby)

Abstract
Several recent approaches to semantic interpretation for natural
language use specialized deductive systems to specify how the meaning
of a phrase is built from the meanings of its constituents.  These
systems extend the notion of compositionality in important ways to
provide for proper treatments of quantification, bound anaphora, and
certain interactions between semantic and pragmatic phenomena.  I will
discuss two particular instantiations of these ideas. The first is
embodied in a natural language system (constructed collaboratively
with Martha Pollack) for building descriptions of maintenance
procedures, and provides basic treatments of the above phenomena. The
second is an attempt to remedy certain problems that were identified
in this first system's representation of binding.  If time permits, I
will relate these treatments to to categorial semantics, systems of
type-checking rules for functional programs, and semantic rules for
programming languages.

Host: Prof. Mark Friedell