Processamento de texto: Interpretacao temporal

Abstract

In this thesis I propose and characterize a general theory for the pragmatic interpretation of the temporal entities in a text. This theory enables the construction of a knowledge base containing the temporal information conveyed by the text, together with the text's temporal structure. According to the theory proposed here in, the pragmetic interpretation of the temporal entities is performed incrementally, one sentence at a time, in each sentence's context. I also describe and analyze an implemented system based on the proposed theory. The most relevant and origin contributions of this thesis are: - The language for the semantic representation of the sentences of a text. This language has a temporal ontology with concepts that are close to those used in natural language, hence simplifying the reasoning necessary for the interpretation of temporal entities. It has a well-defined, non-monotonic semantics, allowing to ascertain whether the representation of s et of sentences is consistent or not. - The text temporal structure. The proposed structure is clearly formalized and the algorithms for its construction are well defined. The criterion for grouping sentences in this structure, relies exclusively on the determination of the temporal relations among the eventualities times of the text sentences. The structure is built incrementally, one sentence at a time, as a result of the interpretation of the temporal entities. This structure allows us to define the discourse entities most relevant for the interpretation of each text sentence. This structure imposes temporal constraints on the times of the events or states mentioned in the sentences. This constraints are due to its underlying formalization. Thus, the text's temporal structure is an active component in the interpretation of sentence's temporal entities, as it may reject some interpretations and will lead to more cohesive interpretations (i.e. those where there are more relations between text entities)Available from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Servico de Informacao e Documentacao, Av. D. Carlos I, 126, 1200 Lisboa / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga