MAS 962: Computational Semantics
Tentative Schedule
September 10: Overview I
September 17: No Class
September 24: Overview II
Quillian, M. (1968) Semantic Memory. In M. Minsky, ed, Semantic Information Processing, 216-270. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Harnad, S. (1990) The Symbol Grounding Problem. Physica D 42: 335-346.
October 1: Relational Networks I
Miller, G. (1998). Nouns in WordNet, In: WordNet: An Electronic Lexical Database, C. Fellbaum, Ed., MIT Press.
Minsky. (1975/1981). A framework for representing knowledge. In J. Haugeland, Ed., Mind Design, MIT Press.
October 8: Relational Networks II
Pustejovsky, J. (2001). Type construction and the logic of concepts. In: The language of word meaning, P. Bouillon and F. Busa, eds., Cambridge University Press.
October 15: No class -- Columbus Day
Term project / paper proposals due.
October 22: External Grounding I
Brian Cantwell Smith. On the origin of objects. MIT Press. – excerpts --
Brooks, R. A. (1991). "Intelligence Without Representation", Artificial Intelligence Journal 47: 139–159.
October 29: External Grounding II
Gardenfors, P. Conceptual Spaces. MIT Press, 2000. – excerpts --
Regier, T. (1996). The Human Semantic Potential: Spatial Language and Constrained Connectionism, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Roy, D. (2001/2002). Learning Visually Grounded Words and Syntax of Natural Spoken Language. Evolution of Communication. 4(1).
November 5: Integration I
Goldstone, R. L., & Rogosky, B. J. (2002). Using relations within conceptual systems to translate across conceptual systems, Cognition, 83(3): 295-320.
November 12: Theory-Theory I
Hayes, P. (1985). "The Second Naive Physics Manifesto," in J.R. Hobbs and R.C. Moore (Eds.) Formal Theories of the Common Sense World (Vol. 1). Norwood, N J: Ablex Publishing Company, 1985.
Gopnik, A. (1996). The Scientist as Child. Philosophy of Science, 63, 485-514.
November 19: Theory-Theory II
Allen, J. (1994) Natural language understanding. Benjamin Cummings. -- Excerpts --
Meuller, E. (2002). ThoughtTreasure: A natural language/commonsense platform. http://www.signiform.com/tt/htm/overview.htm
November 26: Integration II
Jackendoff, R. (2002). Foundations of Language, Chapters 9-11. (Semantics as a Mentalistic Enterprise; Reference and Truth; Lexical Semantics)
December 3: A Step Back
Putnam, H. (1975). The meaning of 'meaning.' In H. Putnam, Mind, language, and reality: Philosophical papers, vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-- Other papers TBA --
December 10: Project / paper presentations
Grading
(Bi-)weekly paper critiques: 40%
Class participation: 20%
Term project / paper: 40%