79,667 research outputs found
Specifying Logic Programs in Controlled Natural Language
Writing specifications for computer programs is not easy since one has to
take into account the disparate conceptual worlds of the application domain and
of software development. To bridge this conceptual gap we propose controlled
natural language as a declarative and application-specific specification
language. Controlled natural language is a subset of natural language that can
be accurately and efficiently processed by a computer, but is expressive enough
to allow natural usage by non-specialists. Specifications in controlled natural
language are automatically translated into Prolog clauses, hence become formal
and executable. The translation uses a definite clause grammar (DCG) enhanced
by feature structures. Inter-text references of the specification, e.g.
anaphora, are resolved with the help of discourse representation theory (DRT).
The generated Prolog clauses are added to a knowledge base. We have implemented
a prototypical specification system that successfully processes the
specification of a simple automated teller machine.Comment: 16 pages, compressed, uuencoded Postscript, published in Proceedings
CLNLP 95, COMPULOGNET/ELSNET/EAGLES Workshop on Computational Logic for
Natural Language Processing, Edinburgh, April 3-5, 199
Developing reproducible and comprehensible computational models
Quantitative predictions for complex scientific theories are often obtained by running simulations on computational models. In order for a theory to meet with wide-spread acceptance, it is important that the model be reproducible and comprehensible by independent researchers. However, the complexity of computational models can make the task of replication all but impossible. Previous authors have suggested that computer models should be developed using high-level specification languages or large amounts of documentation. We argue that neither suggestion is sufficient, as each deals with the prescriptive definition of the model, and does not aid in generalising the use of the model to
new contexts. Instead, we argue that a computational model should be released as three components: (a) a well-documented implementation; (b) a set of tests illustrating each of the key processes within the model; and (c) a set of canonical results, for reproducing the model’s predictions in important experiments. The included tests and experiments would provide the concrete exemplars required for easier comprehension of the model, as well as a confirmation that independent implementations and
later versions reproduce the theory’s canonical results
Semantics and the Computational Paradigm in Cognitive Psychology
There is a prevalent notion among cognitive scientists and philosophers of mind that computers are merely formal symbol manipulators, performing the actions they do solely on the basis of the syntactic properties of the symbols they manipulate. This view of computers has allowed some philosophers to divorce semantics from computational explanations. Semantic content, then, becomes something one adds to computational explanations to get psychological explanations. Other philosophers, such as Stephen Stich, have taken a stronger view, advocating doing away with semantics entirely. This paper argues that a correct account of computation requires us to attribute content to computational processes in order to explain which functions are being computed. This entails that computational psychology must countenance mental representations. Since anti-semantic positions are incompatible with computational psychology thus construed, they ought to be rejected. Lastly, I argue that in an important sense, computers are not formal symbol manipulators
Programming Telepathy: Implementing Quantum Non-Locality Games
Quantum pseudo-telepathy is an intriguing phenomenon which results from the
application of quantum information theory to communication complexity. To
demonstrate this phenomenon researchers in the field of quantum communication
complexity devised a number of quantum non-locality games. The setting of these
games is as follows: the players are separated so that no communication between
them is possible and are given a certain computational task. When the players
have access to a quantum resource called entanglement, they can accomplish the
task: something that is impossible in a classical setting. To an observer who
is unfamiliar with the laws of quantum mechanics it seems that the players
employ some sort of telepathy; that is, they somehow exchange information
without sharing a communication channel. This paper provides a formal framework
for specifying, implementing, and analysing quantum non-locality games
Concurrent Lexicalized Dependency Parsing: The ParseTalk Model
A grammar model for concurrent, object-oriented natural language parsing is
introduced. Complete lexical distribution of grammatical knowledge is achieved
building upon the head-oriented notions of valency and dependency, while
inheritance mechanisms are used to capture lexical generalizations. The
underlying concurrent computation model relies upon the actor paradigm. We
consider message passing protocols for establishing dependency relations and
ambiguity handling.Comment: 90kB, 7pages Postscrip
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