Logical dependency in quantification : a study conducted within the framework of Labelled Deductive Systems, with special reference to English and Mandarin Chinese
This thesis is a study on quantification in the formal logical system of Labelled Deductive Systems as applied to Natural Language Understanding (LDSNL for short). Chapter 1 starts with a discussion on the treatment of quantification in the GB framework, followed by an examination on branching quantification. Then, in Chapter 2, details of LDSNL are introduced in a way that its logical motivations are explained in the context of natural language understanding. Chapter 3 first discusses Game-theoretic Semantics and its treatment of quantifiers. This is followed by discussions of some other procedural treatments of quantification alternative to the first-order treatments. After that, detailed treatments of quantification in English by LDSNL as proposed by Gabbay & Kempson (1992b) are presented in Chapter 4. Instead of viewing quantifiers as operators, I have followed the works of Gabbay and Kempson in treating them as words projecting meta-variables over the labels, whose values are to be instantiated in the dynamic process of utterance interpretation, which is conceived as a procedural, proof-deductive process. Instantiation of variables will bring about the construction of dependency relation, the varieties
Jiang, Yan
Labelled deductive systems; Natural language
Logical dependency in quantification : a study conducted within the framework of Labelled Deductive Systems, with special reference to English and Mandarin Chinese. This thesis is a study on quantification in the formal logical system of Labelled Deductive Systems as applied to Natural Language Understanding (LDSNL for short). Chapter 1 starts with a discussion on the treatment of quantification in the GB framework, followed by an examination on branching quantification. Then, in Chapter 2, details of LDSNL are introduced in a way that its logical motivations are explained in the context of natural language understanding. Chapter 3 first discusses Game-theoretic Semantics and its treatment of quantifiers. This is followed by discussions of some other procedural treatments of quantification alternative to the first-order treatments. After that, detailed treatments of quantification in English by LDSNL as proposed by Gabbay & Kempson (1992b) are presented in Chapter 4. Instead of viewing quantifiers as operators, I have followed the works of Gabbay and Kempson in treating them as words projecting meta-variables over the labels, whose values are to be instantiated in the dynamic process of utterance interpretation, which is conceived as a procedural, proof-deductive process. Instantiation of variables will bring about the construction of dependency relation, the varieties
logical dependency quantification study_conduct within_framework labelled deductive systems special_reference english_mandarin chinese study quantification formal logical system labelled deductive systems apply natural_language short start discussion treatment quantification framework follow_examination branch quantification detail introduce way logical motivation explain context natural_language understanding first_discuss game theoretic semantics treatment quantifier follow_discussion procedural treatment quantification alternative first order treatment detailed treatment quantification english propose present instead view quantifier operator follow work treat word project meta variables label whose value instantiate dynamic_process utterance_interpretation conceive procedural proof deductive process instantiation variable bring construction dependency_relation variety