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TITLE: "Unifying Syntax and Semantics: From the historical rift
between Russell and Wittgenstein and the present day gap between the
predicate calculus and lexical analysis to its impact on NLP
(Neuro-linguistic programming)"<br>
<br>
BY: Erik Thomsen, founder of DSS Labs and Hampshire student in the
past.<br>
<br>
ABSTRACT: Thousands of person-years of effort have failed to produce
a robust NLP system using the consensus foundations consisting of<br>
- The predicate calculus (with the possible addition of frames a la
Cyc) as a logical method for representing (and reasoning with) the
semantics of the sentence, and<br>
- Lexical/syntactic categories (e.g., noun, verb, adjective, article
etc.) as a linguistic method for representing the atomic functions
(or terminal nodes) that attach to words.<br>
Maybe the foundations are misguided. Maybe there is no fundamental
distinction between syntax and semantics. Maybe they're like
Hesperus and Phosphorus.<br>
<br>
In this talk I will share some of my research and real world
application stories suggesting that syntax and semantics are one and
the same. Towards that end, significant problems will be raised
regarding the predicate calculus, a new logic based on cognitive
processing will be introduced, and examples showing how it can
impact NLP will be given.<br>
<br>
BIO Statement: Erik Thomsen is a researcher and architect for
intelligent information systems and their logical foundations. DSS
(Decision Support Systems) Lab was founded in 1999 by Erik Thomsen
and George Spofford, two internationally recognized pioneers in
business intelligence 'BI', and decision support systems 'DSS' (also
called performance management). Our mission is to make best use of
available technologies to provide our clients with long lasting
information solutions they can trust. If the right technology exists
off the shelf, we use it. If we need to work with different pieces
of technology to solve our client's problem, we do so. And if a
needed technology doesn't exist, we will try to invent it, or reach
into our network for those who can. Which is why we are heavily
invested in research and collaboration. These days we are very
involved in the cognitive problems of interpretation,
representation, belief management and analysis.<br>
DSS Lab website: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.dsslab.com/">http://www.dsslab.com/</a> <br>
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<title>CBD to-do list updated and attached</title>
Paula Harmon, Administrative Assistant <br>
<div class="moz-signature"><small> School of Cognitive Science <br>
Hampshire College<br>
893 West Street Amherst, MA 01002 <br>
phone: 413.559.5502 <br>
fax: 413.559.5438 <br>
<a href="http://cs.hampshire.edu">http://cs.hampshire.edu</a></small>
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