Situation Theory and Its Applications

by Barwise, Jon; Gawron, Jen Mark; Plotkin, Gordon; Tutiya, Syun

• ISBN13: 9780937073704
• ISBN10: 0937073709
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-02-01
• Publisher: Stanford Univ Center for the Study

Summary

Situation theory is the result of an interdisciplinary effort to create a full-fledged theory of information. Created by scholars and scientists from cognitive science, computer science, AI, linguistics, logic, philosophy, and mathematics, the theory is forging a common set of tools for the analysis of phenomena from all these fields. This volume presents work that evolved out of the Second Conference on Situation Theory and its Applications. Twenty-six essays exhibit the wide range of the theory, covering such topics as natural language semantics, philosophical issues about information, mathematical applications, and the visual representation of information in computer systems.Jon Barwise is a professor of philosophy, mathematics, and logic at Indiana University in Bloomington. Jean Mark Gawron is a researcher at SRI International and a consultant at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. Gordon Plotkin is a professor of theoretical computer science at the University of Edinburgh. Syun Tutiya is in the philosophy department at Chiba University in Japan.

Table of Contents

Contributors	ix
Preface	xiii
Part I Situation Theory	1	(112)
Universes and Parametes	3	(22)
Peter Aczel
Rachel Lunnon
Situations as Mathematical Abstractions	25	(16)
Keith J. Devlin
Oracles in Situation Semantics	41	(10)
Keith J. Devlin
Many Sorted Universes, SRDs, and Injective Sums	51	(30)
Rachel Lunnon
A Theory of Situations	81	(32)
Edward N. Zalta
Part II Logical Applications	113	(180)
Peirce on Truth and Partiality	115	(32)
Tom Burke
Information and Architecture	147	(14)
David Israel
John Perry
Doxic Paradox: A Situational Solution	161	(18)
Robert C. Koons
CLP (AFA): Coinductive Semantics of Horn Clauses with Compact Constraints	179	(36)
Kuniaki Mukai
Inferring in a Situation about Situations	215	(14)
Hideyuki Nakashima
Syun Tutiya
Situation-Theoretic Aspects of Databases	229	(28)
Bill Rounds
Physical Situations and Information Flow	257	(36)
Jerry Seligman
Part III Linguistic Applications	293	(258)
Persistence and Structural Determination	295	(16)
Richard P. Cooper
Negation in Situation Semantics and Discourse Representation Theory	311	(24)
Robin Cooper
Hans Kamp
The Absorption Principle and E-Type Anaphora	335	(28)
Jean Mark Gawron
John Nerbonne
Stanley Peters
Questions without Answers, Wh-Phrases without Scope: A Semantics for Direct Wh-Questions and their Responses	363	(42)
Jonathan Ginzburg
Reducing Complexity of Constraint-Based Grammars	405	(20)
Koiti Hasida
Perspectivity and the Japanese Reflexive `zibun'	425	(24)
Yasuhiro Katagiri
A Formalization of Metaphor Understanding in Situation Semantics	449	(20)
Tatsunori Mori
Hiroshi Nakagawa
Relational Semantics and Scope Ambiguity	469	(30)
Massimo Poesio
Parameters: Dependence and Absorption	499	(18)
Helle Frisak Sem
Kjell John Saebo
Guri B. Verne
Espen J. Vestre
A Strictly Incremental Approach to Japanese Grammar	517	(16)
Hiroyuki Suzuki
Syun Tutiya
Probing the Iroquoian Perspective: Towards a Situated Inquiry of Linguistic Relativity	533	(18)
Dietmar Zaefferer
Part IV Visual Information	551	(72)
Visualization and Situations	553	(28)
C. Michael Lewis
A Situation-Theoretic Account of Valid Reasoning with Venn Diagrams	581	(26)
Sun-Joo Shin
Reasoning with Words, Pictures, and Calculi: Computation Versus Justification	607	(16)
Keith Stenning
Jon Oberlander
Name Index	623	(4)
Subject Index	627