Generating language from conceptual graphs

Abstract

Conceptual graphs are a semantic representation that has a direct mapping to natural language. This article presents a universal algorithm for scanning the graphs, together with a version of augmented phrase-structure grammar for specifying the syntax of particular languages. When combined with a specific grammar, the universal algorithm determines a mapping from graphs to language with several important properties: multiple surface structures may be generated from a common underlying structure, constraints on the mapping result from the connectivity of the graphs rather than ad hoc assumptions, and the graphs combined with phrase-structure rules enforce context-sensitive conditions. © 1983.