Natural Language Input for a Computer Problem Solving System

Abstract

This paper describes a computer program which accepts and "understands" a comfortable, but restricted set of one natural language, English. Certain difficulties are inherent in this problem of making a machine "understand" English. Within the limited framework of the subject matter understood by the program, many of these problems are solved or circumvented. I shall describe these problems and my solutions, and point out those solutions which I feel have general applicability. I will also indicate which must be replaced by more general methods to be really useful, and give my ideas about what general solutions to these particular problems might entail.