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Conceptual dependency theory
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<p>Conceptual dependency theory is a model of <a href="/facts/Natural_language_understanding/5waCJC1e">natural language understanding</a> used in <a href="/facts/Artificial_intelligence/lJGauQwX">artificial intelligence</a> systems. </p><p><a href="/facts/Roger_Schank/sy8n7nvX">Roger Schank</a> at <a href="/facts/Stanford_University/JEQeF9z2">Stanford University</a> introduced the model in 1969, in the early days of artificial intelligence. This model was extensively used by Schank's students at <a href="/facts/Yale_University/KUdS6jt1">Yale University</a> such as <a href="/facts/Robert_Wilensky/DRxexbea">Robert Wilensky</a>, Wendy Lehnert, and <a href="/facts/Janet_Kolodner/oN71XJ5I">Janet Kolodner</a>. </p><p>Schank developed the model to represent knowledge for natural language input into computers. Partly influenced by the work of <a href="/facts/Sydney_Lamb/LEzqBXlT">Sydney Lamb</a>, his goal was to make the meaning independent of the words used in the input, i.e. two sentences identical in meaning would have a single representation. The system was also intended to draw logical inferences. </p><p>The model uses the following basic representational tokens: </p> <ul><li><i>real world objects</i>, each with some <i>attributes</i>.</li> <li><i>real world actions</i>, each with attributes</li> <li><i>times</i></li> <li><i>locations</i></li></ul> <p>A set of <i>conceptual transitions</i> then act on this representation, e.g. an ATRANS is used to represent a transfer such as "give" or "take" while a PTRANS is used to act on locations such as "move" or "go". An MTRANS represents mental acts such as "tell", etc. </p><p>A sentence such as "John gave a book to Mary" is then represented as the action of an ATRANS on two real world objects, John and Mary. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>DESCRIPTION</th><th>ACTION</th><th>EXAMPLE</th></tr><tr><td>Transfer of abstract relationship</td><td>ATRANS</td><td>give</td></tr><tr><td>Transfer of the physical location of the object</td><td>PTRANS</td><td>go</td></tr><tr><td>Application of physical force to an object</td><td>PROPEL</td><td>push</td></tr><tr><td>Grasping of an object by an actor</td><td>GRASP</td><td>clutch</td></tr><tr><td>Movement of a body part by its owner</td><td>MOVE</td><td>kick</td></tr></tbody></table>