The Structures of Discourse Structure.
Barbara J. Grosz, Candace L. Sidner · Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) · 1985
This paper reports on the development of a computational theory of discourse structure. The theory is based on the thesis that discourse structure is a composite of three structures: the structure of the sequence of utterances, the structure of intentions conveyed, and the attentional state. The distinction among these components is essential to provide adequate explanations of such discourse phenomena as clue words, referring expressions and interruptions. The authors illustrate the application of this theory to such phenomena and discuss the recognition of intentions in discourse. Keywords: Natural language processing; Artificial intelligence; Linguistics; Speech. (Author)