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Future Generation Computer Systems
Volume 16, Issue 7, May 2000, Pages 771-791
 
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doi:10.1016/S0167-739X(99)00090-4    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window)
Copyright © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Compilation versus abstract machines for fast parsing of typed feature structure grammars

John C. [Reference to Brown]Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author and Suresh [Reference to Manandhar]

Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, YO1 5DD, UK

Accepted 15 June 1999.
Available online 3 May 2000.

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Abstract

Constraint-based grammars based on Head Driven Phrase Structure Grammar employ typed feature structures (TFSs) which are often deeply nested. Unification in Prolog (B. Carpenter, G. Penn, ALE: The Attribute Logic Engine User’s Guide, version 2.0, Technical report, Philosophy Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1994) is then too slow for them to be used in real products.

A recent abstract machine (S. Wintner, N. Francez, Efficient compilation of unification-based grammars, in: BCN Summer School 97 on Topics in Constraint-Based Natural Language Processing, Groningen University, 1997, pp. 90–126) translates grammatical descriptions of TFSs into abstract code, with parse times between 3 and 11 times faster, for sentences between 4 and 12 words.

We present a new faster method that allocates atomic composite types to TFSs, precompiles tables that replace unification by matching, and represents semantics in a compact skeletal form. A Prolog prototype already parses faster than the existing abstract machine, and would be even faster in an imperative implementation using arrays.

Author Keywords: Constraints; Types; Feature structures; HPSG; ALE

Corresponding Author Contact Information Corresponding author; email: johnbrown@research.softnet.co.uk


 
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