Syntax, Parsing and Production of Natural Language in a Framework of Information Compression by Multiple Alignment, Unification and Search

摘要

This article introduces the idea that "information compression by multiplealignment, unification and search" (ICMAUS) provides a framework within whichnatural language syntax may be represented in a simple format and the parsingand production of natural language may be performed in a transparent manner. The ICMAUS concepts are embodied in a software model, SP61. The organisationand operation of the model are described and a simple example is presentedshowing how the model can achieve parsing of natural language. Notwithstanding the apparent paradox of 'decompression by compression', theICMAUS framework, without any modification, can produce a sentence by decodinga compressed code for the sentence. This is illustrated with output from theSP61 model. The article includes four other examples - one of the parsing of a sentencein French and three from the domain of English auxiliary verbs. These examplesshow how the ICMAUS framework and the SP61 model can accommodate 'contextsensitive' features of syntax in a relatively simple and direct manner.