Abstract: A method and system for identifying and resolving commonly confused words in a natural language parser is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a computer system parses input text made up of two or more words using a relation that maps from potentially confused words, including one word among the words of the input text, to possibly intended words. The computer system first identifies the possible parts of speech for each word of the input text including the potentially confused word. The computer system then identifies the possible parts of speech for the possibly intended word to which the relation maps the potentially confused word. Finally, the computer system applies syntactic grammar rules to the identified parts of speech such that a complete syntax tree containing a possible part of speech for the possibly intended word is produced and no complete syntax tree containing a possible part of speech for the potentially confused word is produced.

Abstract: A method and system for bootstrapping statistical processing into a rule-based natural language parser is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a statistical bootstrapping software facility optimizes the operation of a robust natural language parser that uses a set of lexicon entries to determine possible parts of speech of words from an input string and a set of rules to combine words from the input string into syntactic structures. The facility first operates the parser in a statistics compilation mode, in which, for each of many sample input strings, the parser attempts to apply all applicable rules and lexicon entries. While the parser is operating in the statistics compilation mode, the facility compiles statistics indicating the likelihood of success of each rule and lexicon entry, based on the success of each rule and lexicon entry when applied in the statistics compilation mode.

Abstract: A method and system for bootstrapping statistical processing into a rule-based natural language parser is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a statistical bootstrapping software facility optimizes the operation of a robust natural language parser that uses a set of lexicon entries to determine possible parts of speech of words from an input string and a set of rules to combine words from the input string into syntactic structures. The facility first operates the parser in a statistics compilation mode, in which, for each of many sample input strings, the parser attempts to apply all applicable rules and lexicon entries. While the parser is operating in the statistics compilation mode, the facility compiles statistics indicating the likelihood of success of each rule and lexicon entry, based on the success of each rule and lexicon entry when applied in the statistics compilation mode.