Haldur Õim

A computational model of argumentation in agreement negotiation processes

The paper describes a computational model that we have implemented in an experimental dialogue system (DS). Communication in a natural language between two participants A and B is considered, where A has a communicative goal that his/her partner B will make a decision to perform an action D. A argues the usefulness, pleasantness, etc. of D (including its consequences), in order to guide Bs reasoning in a desirable direction. A computational model of argumentation is developed, which includes reasoning. Our model is based on the studies in the common-sense conception of how the human mind works in such situations. Theoretical considerations are followed by an analysis of Estonian spoken human–human dialogues. First, calls of clients to travel agencies are studied where a travel agent could use various arguments in order to persuade a client to book a trip. The analysis demonstrates that clients are primarily looking for information; argumentation occurs in a small number of dialogues. Secondly, calls of s...

On the Semantic Treatment of Predicative Expressions

In this paper I want to discuss some problems of semantics which, as it seems to me, are crucial with respect to many topics under discussion in present-day semantics but which have so far remained almost unnoticed. I presuppose as the general frame of discussion the theory of generative grammar in the form which has become known under the name of generative semantics.

Modelling Debates on the Computer

In the paper, a model of debate is developed which includes a model of argument. When starting interaction, the participants have opposite communicative goals. They are exchanging arguments and counter-arguments and one of them has finally to abandon his or her initial communicative goal, i.e. one participant ‘wins’ and another ‘loses’. An analysis of human-human dialogue corpus is carried out in order to evaluate the suitability of the model for describing natural debates. A computer implementation is introduced. Notions of negotiation, debate and argument are discussed.

Dialogue Management in the Agreement Negotiation Process: A Model that Involves Natural Reasoning

In the paper we describe an approach to dialogue management in the agreement negotiation where one of the central roles is attributed to the model of natural human reasoning. The reasoning model consists of the model of human motivational sphere, and of reasoning algorithms. The reasoning model is interacting with the model of communication process. The latter is considered as rational activity where central role play the concepts of communicative strategies and tactics.

Towards a theory of linguistic pragmatics

Abstract A possible approach to the description of the pragmatic structure of sentences is described. It is proposed that from the point of view of pragmatics every sentence should be treated as a message whose function is to modify the receivers knowledge in a certain way. In the same sense as words are semantically complex entities that should be analyzed into more elementary semantic units, sentences should also be analyzed into elementary pragmatic components - elementary messages. Every elementary message represents a certain operation upon the receivers memory. The pragmatic structure of a sentence may be explicated as a (typically non-linear) sequence of elementary message where every adds its ‘piece of information’ to the memory structures created by the previous messages. The theory of communicative dynamism, as elaborated by the Prague school of linguistics, is used as a source for establishing the sequences of messages corresponding to a given sentence. Some other criteria for establishing elementary messages are also considered and the nature of the operations represented by these messages is discussed.

Presuppositions and the Ordering of Messages

In (Oim, 1972) Is suggested how the functioning of language could be described in linguistic semantics; more precisely, how the act of prediction, which is taken to be the basic act underlying the communicative function of language, could be described. In the present paper I want to develop one certain point of this approach which was only briefly touched upon in the paper mentioned above, namely the treatment of actual sentences within the framework of the given approach. At the same time I want to show how a certain explication to one of the most discussed notions of present-day semantics — the nation of presupposition — quite naturally follows from this treatment.

A Comparison of Clausal Coordinate Ellipsis in Estonian and German: Remarkably Similar Elision Rules Allow a Language-Independent Ellipsis-Generation Module

We compare the phenomena of clausal coordinate ellipsis in Estonian, a Finno-Ugric language, and German, an Indo-European language. The rules underlying these phenomena appear to be remarkably similar. Thus, the software module Elleipo, which was originally developed to generate clausal coordinate ellipsis in German and Dutch, works for Estonian as well. In order to extend Elleipos coverage to Estonian, we only had to adapt the lexicon and some syntax rules unrelated to coordination. We describe the language-independent rules for coordinate ellipsis that Elleipo applies to non-elliptical syntactic structures in both target languages.

Teaching Computational Linguistics at the University of Tartu: Experience, Perspectives and Challenges

The paper gives a review of teaching Computational Linguistics (CL) at the University of Tartu. The current curriculum foresees the possibility of studying CL as an independent 4-year subject in the Faculty of Philosophy on the bachelor stage. In connection with the higher education reform in Estonia, new curricula will be introduced from the next study year where the 3-year bachelor stage will be followed by a 2-year masters stage. It will then be possible to study CL proceeding from two paths: in the Faculty of Philosophy, and additionally also in the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. This way two types of specialists will be trained who will hopefully be able to complement each other in team-work.

AN APPROACH TO THE MODELLING OF NATURAL REASONING

We are concerned with the process of reasoning directed towards the decision to carry out or not to carry out an action D. This process may be induced by three kinds of determinants: the WISH-, NEEDED- or MUST-determinants. The actiwy of these determinants corresponds to certain values on the scales pleasant/unpleasant, useful/harmful and obligatory/prohibited (on the part of the agent S of D). The role of these scales in the reasoning process is different depending on the determinant by which process is triggered. In addition, the interaction of the values of the three scales in the process of reasoning is regulated by specific rules. We represent three basic reasoning models in the form of algorithms using the schematic programming notation.

Local and global structures in discourse understanding

The authors examine the nature of content structures in terms of which it would be possible to account for reasoning processes in understanding natural language texts. 12 references.