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Chart parsing in Prolog

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Abstract

Several differing approaches to parsing using Prolog are discussed and their characteristics outlined, in particular Definite Clause Grammar (DCG), the Bottom-Up Parser (BUP) and the Active Chart Parser. Attention is paid to the conflict that arises between the simplicity and efficiency of the parsing algorithm when using a grammar specified as a linguistic, rather than computationally efficient, description of a sublanguage. A simple and efficient parsing algorithm called ‘Word Incorporation’ is described. Its efficient implementation in Prolog and extensions for handing literals, the Kleene star operator and gaps in grammar rules are described using experience gained with the unification-based formalism, Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG).

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Simpkins, N.K., Hancox, P. Chart parsing in Prolog. New Gener Comput 8, 113–138 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037470

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037470

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