Lógica difusa para una descripción de la gramática de las lenguas naturales

Defining the natural language and its gradient phenomena force us to look for formal tools that can represent the bases of a grammar with degrees of grammaticality. The mathematical and formal models are often used in linguistics. And yet, fuzzy logic has not received all the attention it deserves as a tool to explain the natural language processing. Here, we show the theoretical bases that have led us to treat the natural language (NL) inputs gradually. The basis of fuzzy logic for NL are explained here as a tool capable of defining non-discrete values, therefore gradual or fuzzy. A Property Grammar will give the rules of the fuzzy grammar.Definir el lenguaje natural y su gradualidad nos obliga a buscar herramientas formales que puedan definir las bases de una gramática con grados de gramaticalidad. Aunque el uso de modelos matemáticos y formales es habitual en lingüística, la lógica difusa no ha recibido toda la atención que merece como herramienta para explicar el procesamiento del lenguaje natural. Aquí se exponen las bases teóricas que nos han llevado a tratar el lenguaje natural de una manera gradual y las bases de la lógica difusa como herramienta para lidiar con la formalización de una gramática que sea capaz de recoger valores no discretos, por lo tanto graduales o difusos. Las reglas de la gramática difusa vendrán dadas por una gramática de propiedades

Fuzzy Grammaticality Models: A Tool for Web Language Analysis

AbstractIn this paper, we highlight the need to propose formal models that consider grammaticality as a gradient property instead of the categorical view of grammaticality defended in theoretical linguistics. Given that deviations from the norm are inherent to the spontaneous use of language, linguistic analysis tools should account for different levels of grammaticality. Fuzzy grammaticality models may be a way to solve the problem that the so-called “noisy text” poses to parsing mechanisms used in Web language analysis–especially social networks language

A Formal Characterization of Fuzzy Degrees of Grammaticality for Natural Language

En aquesta tesis podem trobar un nou sistema que caracteritza formalment els graus difusos gramaticalitat en el llenguatge natural. Proposa la base d'una gramàtica difusa, les seves característiques, fórmules difuses i avaluatives per calcular els valors de gramaticalitat, i proporciona una prova de concepte d'una gramàtica de propietat difusa per a la sintaxi de l'espanyol. Reconeixem una gramàtica com un sistema que produeix i reconeix entrades. A més, afirmem que la gramàtica és una compilació de restriccions lingüístiques que defineixen la competència lingüística d'un parlant. Tal entrada que viola les restriccions d'una gramàtica, s'associarà amb el grau de gramaticalitat respecte a aquesta gramàtica gramàtica específica. Per tant, el grau de gramaticalitat s'entén com un objecte vague que pot tenir en compte els graus de membres respecte a una entrada lingüística. Per explicar això, es proposa un nou sistema a partir de la combinació d'una gramàtica de propietats de Blache (2016) i les eines de lògica difusa de Novák (2015). Aquest nou enfocament ens permet: 1) proporcionar una gramàtica difusa per tractar els graus de gramaticalitat; 2) un marc per definir restriccions i categories límit pel que fa a una gramàtica; 3) definir la gramaticalitat tenint en compte la competència lingüística (no l'actuació).En esta disertación, podemos encontrar un nuevo sistema que caracteriza formalmente los grados difusos de gramaticalidad en el lenguaje natural. Propone la base de una gramática difusa, sus características, fórmulas difusas y evaluativas para calcular los valores de gramaticalidad, y proporciona una prueba de concepto de una gramática de propiedad difusa para la sintaxis del español. Reconocemos una gramática como un sistema que produce y reconoce entradas. Además, afirmamos que la gramática es una compilación de restricciones lingüísticas que definen la competencia lingüística de un hablante. Tal entrada que viola las restricciones de una gramática, se asociará con el grado de gramaticalidad con respecto a esa gramática gramática específica. Por lo tanto, el grado de gramaticalidad se entiende como un objeto vago que puede tener en cuenta los grados de membresía con respecto a una entrada lingüística. Para explicar esto, se propone un nuevo sistema a partir de la combinación de una gramática de propiedades de Blache (2016) y las herramientas de lógica difusa de Novák (2015). Este nuevo enfoque nos permite: 1) proporcionar una gramática difusa para tratar los grados de gramaticalidad; 2) un marco para definir restricciones y categorías límite con respecto a una gramática; 3) definir la gramaticalidad teniendo en cuenta la competencia lingüística (no la actuación).In this dissertation., we can find a new system which formally characterizes the fuzzy degrees of grammaticality in natural language. It proposes the basis of a fuzzy grammar, its features, fuzzy and evaluative formulas to calculate the values of grammaticality, and it provides a proof-of-concept of a Fuzzy Property Grammar for the syntax of the Spanish. We recognize a grammar as a system which both produces and recognizes inputs. Besides, we claim that the grammar is a compilation of linguistic constraints which defines the linguistic competence of a speaker. Such an input which violates the constraints of a grammar, it will be associated with the degree of grammaticality concerning to that grammar specific grammar. Therefore, the degree of grammaticality is understood as a vague object which can take into account degrees of membership regarding a linguistic input. I In order to explain that, a new system is proposed from the combination of a Property Grammar from Blache, (2016) and the Fuzzy Natural Logic tools from Novák (2015). This new approach allows us to: 1) provide a fuzzy grammar for dealing with degrees of grammaticality; 2) a framework for defining borderline constraints and categories regarding a grammar; 3) defining grammaticality taking into account linguistic competence (not performance)

A Formal Characterization of Fuzzy Degrees of Grammaticality for Natural Language

En aquesta tesis podem trobar un nou sistema que caracteritza formalment els graus difusos gramaticalitat en el llenguatge natural. Proposa la base d'una gramàtica difusa, les seves característiques, fórmules difuses i avaluatives per calcular els valors de gramaticalitat, i proporciona una prova de concepte d'una gramàtica de propietat difusa per a la sintaxi de l'espanyol. Reconeixem una gramàtica com un sistema que produeix i reconeix entrades. A més, afirmem que la gramàtica és una compilació de restriccions lingüístiques que defineixen la competència lingüística d'un parlant. Tal entrada que viola les restriccions d'una gramàtica, s'associarà amb el grau de gramaticalitat respecte a aquesta gramàtica gramàtica específica. Per tant, el grau de gramaticalitat s'entén com un objecte vague que pot tenir en compte els graus de membres respecte a una entrada lingüística. Per explicar això, es proposa un nou sistema a partir de la combinació d'una gramàtica de propietats de Blache (2016) i les eines de lògica difusa de Novák (2015). Aquest nou enfocament ens permet: 1) proporcionar una gramàtica difusa per tractar els graus de gramaticalitat; 2) un marc per definir restriccions i categories límit pel que fa a una gramàtica; 3) definir la gramaticalitat tenint en compte la competència lingüística (no l'actuació).En esta disertación, podemos encontrar un nuevo sistema que caracteriza formalmente los grados difusos de gramaticalidad en el lenguaje natural. Propone la base de una gramática difusa, sus características, fórmulas difusas y evaluativas para calcular los valores de gramaticalidad, y proporciona una prueba de concepto de una gramática de propiedad difusa para la sintaxis del español. Reconocemos una gramática como un sistema que produce y reconoce entradas. Además, afirmamos que la gramática es una compilación de restricciones lingüísticas que definen la competencia lingüística de un hablante. Tal entrada que viola las restricciones de una gramática, se asociará con el grado de gramaticalidad con respecto a esa gramática gramática específica. Por lo tanto, el grado de gramaticalidad se entiende como un objeto vago que puede tener en cuenta los grados de membresía con respecto a una entrada lingüística. Para explicar esto, se propone un nuevo sistema a partir de la combinación de una gramática de propiedades de Blache (2016) y las herramientas de lógica difusa de Novák (2015). Este nuevo enfoque nos permite: 1) proporcionar una gramática difusa para tratar los grados de gramaticalidad; 2) un marco para definir restricciones y categorías límite con respecto a una gramática; 3) definir la gramaticalidad teniendo en cuenta la competencia lingüística (no la actuación).In this dissertation., we can find a new system which formally characterizes the fuzzy degrees of grammaticality in natural language. It proposes the basis of a fuzzy grammar, its features, fuzzy and evaluative formulas to calculate the values of grammaticality, and it provides a proof-of-concept of a Fuzzy Property Grammar for the syntax of the Spanish. We recognize a grammar as a system which both produces and recognizes inputs. Besides, we claim that the grammar is a compilation of linguistic constraints which defines the linguistic competence of a speaker. Such an input which violates the constraints of a grammar, it will be associated with the degree of grammaticality concerning to that grammar specific grammar. Therefore, the degree of grammaticality is understood as a vague object which can take into account degrees of membership regarding a linguistic input. I In order to explain that, a new system is proposed from the combination of a Property Grammar from Blache, (2016) and the Fuzzy Natural Logic tools from Novák (2015). This new approach allows us to: 1) provide a fuzzy grammar for dealing with degrees of grammaticality; 2) a framework for defining borderline constraints and categories regarding a grammar; 3) defining grammaticality taking into account linguistic competence (not performance)

Modeling Violations of Selectional Restrictions with Distributional Semantics

International audienceDistributional Semantic Models have been successfully used for modeling selectional preferences in a variety of scenarios, since distributional similarity naturally provides an estimate of the degree to which an argument satisfies the requirement of a given predicate. However, we argue that the performance of such models on rare verb-argument combinations has received relatively little attention: it is not clear whether they are able to distinguish the combinations that are simply atypical, or implausible, from the semantically anomalous ones, and in particular, they have never been tested on the task of modeling their differences in processing complexity. In this paper, we compare two different models of thematic fit by testing their ability of identifying violations of selectional restrictions in two datasets from the experimental studies

Describing Linguistic Vagueness of Evaluative Expressions Using Fuzzy Natural Logic and Linguistic Constraints

In recent years, the study of evaluative linguistic expressions has crossed the field of theoretical linguistics and has aroused interest in very different research areas such as artificial intelligence, psychology or cognitive linguistics. The interest in this type of expressions may be due to its relevance in applications such as opinion mining or sentiment analysis. This paper brings together Fuzzy Natural Logic and Fuzzy Property Grammars to approach evaluative expressions. Our contribution includes the marriage of mathematical and linguistic methods for providing a formalism to deal with the linguistic vagueness of evaluative expressions by describing the syntax and semantics of these structures. We contribute to the study of evaluative linguistic expressions by proposing a formal characterization of them where the concepts of semantic prime, borderline evaluative expressions and markedness are defined and where the relation between the semantic constraints of evaluations and their sentiment can be established. A proof-of-concept of how to create a lexicon of evaluative expressions for future computational applications is presented. The results demonstrate that linguistic evaluative expressions are gradient, have sentiment, and that the evaluations work as a relation of hypernym and hyponym, the hypernym being a semantic prime. Our findings provide the basis for building an ontology of evaluative expressions for future computational applications

Fuzzy Property Grammars for Gradience in Natural Language

This paper introduces a new grammatical framework, Fuzzy Property Grammars (FPGr). This is a model based on Property Grammars and Fuzzy Natural Logic. Such grammatical framework is constraint-based and provides a new way to formally characterize gradience by representing grammaticality degrees regarding linguistic competence (without involving speakers judgments). The paper provides a formal-logical characterization of FPGr. A test of the framework is presented by implementing an FPGr for Spanish. FPGr is a formal theory that may serve linguists, computing scientists, and mathematicians since it can capture infinite grammatical structures within the variability of a language

Describing Linguistic Vagueness of Evaluative Expressions Using Fuzzy Natural Logic and Linguistic Constraints

In recent years, the study of evaluative linguistic expressions has crossed the field of theoretical linguistics and has aroused interest in very different research areas such as artificial intelligence, psychology or cognitive linguistics. The interest in this type of expressions may be due to its relevance in applications such as opinion mining or sentiment analysis. This paper brings together Fuzzy Natural Logic and Fuzzy Property Grammars to approach evaluative expressions. Our contribution includes the marriage of mathematical and linguistic methods for providing a formalism to deal with the linguistic vagueness of evaluative expressions by describing the syntax and semantics of these structures. We contribute to the study of evaluative linguistic expressions by proposing a formal characterization of them where the concepts of semantic prime, borderline evaluative expressions and markedness are defined and where the relation between the semantic constraints of evaluations and their sentiment can be established. A proof-of-concept of how to create a lexicon of evaluative expressions for future computational applications is presented. The results demonstrate that linguistic evaluative expressions are gradient, have sentiment, and that the evaluations work as a relation of hypernym and hyponym, the hypernym being a semantic prime. Our findings provide the basis for building an ontology of evaluative expressions for future computational applications

Modeling Violations of Selectional Restrictions with Distributional Semantics

International audienceDistributional Semantic Models have been successfully used for modeling selectional preferences in a variety of scenarios, since distributional similarity naturally provides an estimate of the degree to which an argument satisfies the requirement of a given predicate. However, we argue that the performance of such models on rare verb-argument combinations has received relatively little attention: it is not clear whether they are able to distinguish the combinations that are simply atypical, or implausible, from the semantically anomalous ones, and in particular, they have never been tested on the task of modeling their differences in processing complexity. In this paper, we compare two different models of thematic fit by testing their ability of identifying violations of selectional restrictions in two datasets from the experimental studies

A Fuzzy Grammar for Evaluating Universality and Complexity in Natural Language

The paper focuses on linguistic complexity and language universals, which are two important and controversial issues in language research. A Fuzzy Property Grammar for determining the degree of universality and complexity of a natural language is introduced. In this task, the Fuzzy Property Grammar operated only with syntactic constraints. Fuzzy Natural Logic sets the fundamentals to express the notions of universality and complexity as evaluative expressions. The Fuzzy Property Grammar computes the constraints in terms of weights of universality and calculates relative complexity. We present a proof-of-concept in which we have generated a grammar with 42B syntactic constraints. The model classifies constraints in terms of low, medium, and high universality and complexity. Degrees of relative complexity in terms of similarity from a correlation matrix have been obtained. The results show that the architecture of a Universal Fuzzy Property Grammar is flexible, reusable, and re-trainable, and it can easily take into account new sets of languages, perfecting the degree of universality and complexity of the linguistic constraints as well as the degree of complexity between languages