Inference and the computer understanding of natural language

摘要

The notion of computer understanding of natural language is examined relative to inference mechanisms designed to function in a language-free deep conceptual base (Conceptual Dependency). The conceptual analysis of a natural language sentence into this conceptual base, and the nature of the memory which stores and operates upon these conceptual structures are described from both theoretical and practical standpoints. The various types of inferences which can be made during and after the conceptual analysis of a sentence are defined, and a functioning program which performs these inference tasks is described. Actual computer output is included.