Recursive Transition Networks

Allen’s Chapters 3
J&M’s Chapter 10

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Recursive Transition Networks

2
RTN Arc Types

3
The metal can was dark blue

4
1 The 2 metal 3 can 4 was 5 dark 6 blue 7

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1 The 2 metal 3 can 4 was 5 dark 6 blue 7

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1 The 2 metal 3 can 4 was 5 dark 6 blue 7

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1 The 2 metal 3 can 4 was 5 dark 6 blue 7

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Augmented Transition Networks

Allen’s Chapters 4
J&M’s Chapter 20

9
Augmented Transition Networks

• An augmented transition network (ATN) is a recursive

transition network that can perform tests and take actions
during arc transitions.
• An ATN uses a set of registers to store information.
• A set of actions is defined for each arc, and the actions can
look at and modify the registers.
• An arc may have a test associated with it. The arc is
traversed (and its action is taken) only if the test succeeds.
• When a lexical arc is traversed, it is put in a special
variable (*) that keeps track of the current word.

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An ATN for NP

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An ATN for S

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1 the 2 dog 3 saw 4 Jack 5

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An ATN Grammar for Simple
Declarative Statements

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The NP Network

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The PP Network

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Register Presetting

Register Presetting  Parameter Passing

• vp:inf
Mary wants to have a party.
• _np_vp:inf
Mary wants John to have a party.

Register VFORM of VP Graph should be preset to

inf

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