Foundations of Computational Linguistics

The central task of a future-oriented computational linguistics is the development of cognitive machines which humans can freely talk with in their respective natural language. In the long run, this task will ensure the development of a functional theory of language, an objective method of verification,and a wide range of practical applications. Natural communication requires not only verbal processing, but also non-verbal perception and action. Therefore the content of this textbook is organized as a theory of language for the construction of talking robots. The main topic is the mechanism of natural language communication in both the speaker and the hearer. The book contains more than 700 exercises for reviewing key ideas and important problems. In the 2nd edition, Chapters 22-24 have been completely rewritten. They present a declarative outline for programming the semantic and pragmatic interpretation of natural language communication.