Theorem-Proving by Resolution as a Basis for Question-Answering Systems
Cordell Green · 2010
This paper shows how a question-answering system can be constructed using first-order logic as its language and a resolution-type theorem-prover as its deductive mechanism. A working computer program, qa3, based on these ideas is described. The performance of the program compares favorably with several other general question-answering systems. 1. QUESTION ANSWERING A question-answering system accepts information about some subject areas and answers questions by utilizing this information. The type of question-answering system considered in this paper is ideally one having the following features: 1. A language general enough to describe any reasonable question-answering subjects and express desired questions and answers. 2. The ability to search efficiently the stored information and recognize items that are relevant to a particular query. 3. The ability to derive an answer that is not stored explicitly, but that is derivable by the use of moderate effort from the stored facts.