Programming Language Techniques for Natural Language Applications

It is easy to imagine machines that can communicate in natural language. Constructing such machines is more difficult. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how declarative grammar formalisms that distinguish between abstract and concrete syntax make it easier to develop natural language applications. We describe how the type-theorectical grammar formalism Grammatical Framework (GF) can be used as a high-level language for natural language applications. By taking advantage of techniques from the field of programming language implementation, we can use GF grammars to perform portable and efficient parsing and linearization, generate speech recognition language models, implement multimodal fusion and fission, generate support code for abstract syntax transformations, generate dialogue managers, and implement speech translators and web-based syntax-aware editors. By generating application components from a declarative grammar, we can reduce duplicated work, ensure consistency, make it easier to build multilingual systems, improve linguistic quality, enable re-use across system domains, and make systems more portable

Gröna tak - En del av framtidens städer

This thesis is made in order to review green roofs as an alternative roof covering. We have studied the common sources why green roofs are not selected and its advantages and construction. Green Roofs have existed in different shapes since year 900 before Christ, when the gardens were built up with trees, bushes and climbing root in pots. In Scandinavia, many centuries later, roof coverings were made of grass and turf. These green roofs however had one disadvantage: they were very flammable. The green roofs of today were created during the 1960s in Germany where the usual roof cover is sedum. In Metropolises today the natural green areas are replaced with buildings and streets. These hard surfaces absorb sun energy which gives a higher temperature than the countryside. The disadvantage is that the temperature inside the buildings will increase and gives higher energy consumption. Also the storm water affects by the hard surface since it doesn´t absorb the rainwater which leads to flood when the drainage pipes is not dimensioned for such amount of water. If the natural green area is replaced by constructed green areas, like green roofs or facades, the city environment could be improved. It becomes a steady climate, lower energy supply, lower risk for flood at the same time as it affects the human common wealth positively. Today the city of Helsingborg is developing a plan for a radical urban renewal. By digging down a railway south of Knutpunkten parts of the city center can be linked together. H+, as the project is called, includes renewal of a former port area Södra hamnen, as well as the former industrial areas of Söder and Gåsebäck. We have had the possibility, by cooperation with Helsingborg stad, to give a proposal how to project green roofs as a part of H+. We have also researched the amount of rainwater over a year in Helsingborg to investigate how much that can be absorbed by green roofs. Keywords: Green roof, sedum, HelsingborgDetta examensarbete är gjort i syfte att undersöka gröna tak som en alternativ taktäckning. Vi har undersökt de vanligaste orsakerna till varför gröna tak väljs bort, fördelar med gröna tak samt dess konstruktion. Gröna tak har funnits i olika former sedan 900-talet före Kristus. Då bestod takträdgårdarna till största delen av träd, buskar och klängväxter i krukor. I Skandinavien byggde man många århundraden senare taktäckning av gräs och torv. Största nackdelen med dessa gröna tak var att de var väldigt lättantändliga. Dagens gröna tak härstammar från 1960-talets Tyskland där den vanligaste taktäckningen vid gröna tak består av sedum-mattor. I dagens storstäder ersätts de naturliga grönområdena med byggnader och vägar. Dessa hårda ytor absorberar solenergi vilket leder till en förhöjd temperatur jämfört med landsbygden. Detta leder till att byggnadernas inomhustemperatur måste regleras vilket ger en ökad energiåtgång. Även dagvattenhanteringen påverkas då de hårda ytorna inte upptar något av regnvattnet, vilket vid kraftiga regn kan leda till översvämningar då dagvattensystemet är underdimensionerat. Om de förlorade naturliga grönytorna ersätts med gröna ytor, till exempel gröna tak eller fasader, kan stadsmiljön förbättras. Det blir ett jämnare klimat, energiåtgången sänks, risken för översvämningar minskar samtidigt som det har en positiv inverkan på människans välbefinnande. Under de närmsta åren står Helsingborg inför stora förändringar. Järnvägen söder om Knutpunkten skall grävas ner med syftet att få en sammanhållen stadskärna. H+, som projektet kallas, syftar till att bygga om Södra hamnen, industriområdena i stadsdelarna Söder och Gåsebäck till ett bostadsområde integrerat med näringsliv. Vi har fått möjlighet, genom ett samarbete med Helsingborgs stad, att ge förslag på hur man kan projektera in gröna tak som en del av H+. Vi har även tagit fram årsnederbörden i Helsingborg för att se hur mycket vatten som upptas av de gröna taken

How functional programming mattered

In 1989 when functional programming was still considered a niche topic, Hughes wrote a visionary paper arguing convincingly ‘why functional programming matters’. More than two decades have passed. Has functional programming really mattered? Our answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’. Functional programming is now at the forefront of a new generation of programming technologies, and enjoying increasing popularity and influence. In this paper, we review the impact of functional programming, focusing on how it has changed the way we may construct programs, the way we may verify programs, and fundamentally the way we may think about programs

Speech Recognition Grammar Compilation in Grammatical Framework

This paper describes how grammar-based language models for speech recognition systems can be generated from Grammatical Framework (GF) grammars. Context-free grammars and finite-state models can be generated in several formats: GSL, SRGS, JSGF, and HTK SLF. In addition, semantic interpretation code can be embedded in the generated context-free grammars. This enables rapid development of portable, multilingual and easily modifiable speech recognition applications.