Reference and Computation: An Essay in Applied Philosophy of Language (Studies in Natural Language Processing)

Kronfeld, Amichai

ISBN 10: 0521399823 / ISBN 13: 9780521399821

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1990

About this Item

A text which deals with two major problems in the study of language. First, how do we successfully refer to objects in conversation. Second, how can a computer be programmed to simulate this ability? The author outlines an answer to these questions. Series Editor(s): Bird, Steven; HIndle, Don; Kay, Martin; McDonald, David; Uszkoreit, Hans; Wilks, Yorick. Series: Studies in Natural Language Processing. Num Pages: 208 pages, figures, references, index. BIC Classification: CFX. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 228 x 152 x 12. Weight in Grams: 310. . 1990. paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780521399821

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Reference and Computation: An Essay in Applied Philosophy of Language (Studies in Natural Language Processing)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521399823
• ISBN 13: 9780521399821
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This book deals with a major problem in the study of language: the problem of reference. The ease with which we refer to things in conversation is deceptive. Upon closer scrutiny, it turns out that we hardly ever tell each other explicitly what object we mean, although we expect our interlocutor to discern it. Amichai Kronfeld provides an answer to two questions associated with this: how do we successfully refer, and how can a computer be programmed to achieve this? Beginning with the major theories of reference, Dr Kronfeld provides a consistent philosophical view which is a synthesis of Frege's and Russell's semantic insights with Grice's and Searle's pragmatic theories. This leads to a set of guiding principles, which are then applied to a computational model of referring. The discussion is made accessible to readers from a number of backgrounds: in particular, students and researchers in the areas of computational linguistics, artificial intelligence and the philosophy of language will want to read this book.

Book Description

On scrutinising how we refer to things in conversation, we find that we rarely state explicitly what object we mean, although we expect an interlocutor to discern it. Dr Kronfield provides an answer to the two questions; how do we successfully refer; and how can a computer be programmed to achieve this?.