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Estimating semantic content: An A priori approach
Author(s) -
Fulda Joseph S.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of intelligent systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.291
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1098-111X
pISSN - 0884-8173
DOI - 10.1002/int.4550030104
Subject(s) - propositional calculus , computer science , a priori and a posteriori , natural deduction , meaning (existential) , predicate (mathematical logic) , content (measure theory) , logical form , natural language processing , preprocessor , logical equivalence , natural language , logical consequence , logical conjunction , artificial intelligence , calculus (dental) , mathematics , programming language , epistemology , discrete mathematics , philosophy , mathematical analysis , equivalence (formal languages) , medicine , dentistry
We present our research into the use of the logical structure of natural language discourse to generate estimates of the quantity of semantic content contained within a passage. These estimates of the degree of meaningfulness are recovered from the logical form of the passage, without actually recovering its meaning or necessitating real understanding. We first consider analysis of statements in the propositional calculus, then consider analysis of the logical structure within propositions, as formalized by the predicate calculus. Along the way, we consider several questions related to logic and meaning and introduce several interesting results. the theory and methodology we develop has potential application to a natural language preprocessor for a priori skimming and the production of abstracts, although for now the input should be specified in logical form, rather than in a natural language.