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Toward a Formal Theory of Information Structure

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Evolution of Semantic Systems

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Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to present a formal theory of the structure of information that will support a variety of statements about documents in various media, their internal structure, and how they function in the world at large. We begin by sketching an approach to anchoring symbolic systems in human cognition and discuss various levels of intentionality that occur. We then consider compositionality in different symbolic systems and the sometimes complex coreference relations that arise from that. This theory is the basis of a program for translating natural language into logical form, and this is described. Then the theory is applied to the specific case of diagrams as information-bearing objects, and a logical theory of Gantt charts is constructed as an illustration. Finally there is a discussion of issues raised with respect to various modalities and various manifestations of symbolic artifacts.

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Acknowledgments

We have profited from discussions with and work by Eduard Hovy, Nishit Rathod, Midhun Ittychariah, and Paul Martin. The opinions expressed here, however, are entirely our own. This material is based in part upon work supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through the Department of the Interior, NBC, Acquisition Services Division, under Contract No. NBCHD030010. It was also supported in part by DARPA’s “Learning by Reading: The Möbius Project” (NBCHD030010 TO #0007), and in part under the IARPA (DTO) AQUAINT program, contract N61339-06-C-0160.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern Caifornia, 4676 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA

    Jerry R. Hobbs

  2. Precyse Advanced Technologies, 1750 Founders Parkway, Suite 154, Alpharetta, GA, 30009

    Rutu Mulkar-Mehta

Authors
  1. Jerry R. Hobbs
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  2. Rutu Mulkar-Mehta
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Correspondence to Jerry R. Hobbs .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Frege Centre for Structural Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Zwätzengasse 9, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Bernd-Olaf Küppers

  2. Jena University Language & Information E, Frege Centre for Structural Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Fürstengraben 30, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Udo Hahn

  3. , Frege Centre for Structural Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Zwätzengasse 4, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Stefan Artmann

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Hobbs, J.R., Mulkar-Mehta, R. (2013). Toward a Formal Theory of Information Structure. In: Küppers, BO., Hahn, U., Artmann, S. (eds) Evolution of Semantic Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34997-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34997-3_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-34996-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-34997-3

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