Abstract: A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for effectively ingesting data for answering questions in the QA system. A received input question having a set of question characteristics is parsed, which are compared to question characteristics associated with a set of previous questions. Responsive to the set of question characteristics matching the question characteristics associated with one or more previous questions above a related-question predetermined threshold, identification is made as to whether answers to the one or more previous questions were obtained from static information sources or real-time information sources.

Abstract: A primary ingestion pipeline configured for use in natural language processing includes annotators configured for annotating documents. The annotators and documents to be annotated are evaluated. Based on the evaluations, an ingestion risk score is generated for each document. Each ingestion risk score represents a likelihood that an associated document will not successfully be annotated by the annotators. Each ingestion risk score is compared to a set of risk criteria. Based on the comparisons, a determination is made that each document of a first set of documents satisfies the set of risk criteria. A further determination is made, based on the comparisons, that each document of a second set of documents does not satisfy the set of risk criteria. In response to these determinations, the first set of documents is entered into the primary ingestion pipeline and the second set of documents is provided special handling.

Abstract: Resource provisioning to a process in a distributed computing system, such as a cloud computing system. An instruction to provision a resource is received. Portions of the resource are provisioned to the process as they become available, and prior to all portions becoming available, based on determining that the provisioning speed is greater than or equal to the use speed for the resource. If the use speed is faster, it may be actively slowed down.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a text and identifying a set of linguistic characteristics contained in the text, where linguistic characteristics include grammatical, syntactic, and idiomatic features of the text. The method also includes determining a plurality of locations of origin in which the text was potentially written based on the set of linguistic characteristics. The method also includes retrieving a set of reference documents for each location of origin in the plurality of locations of origin and producing a set of proximity scores by performing a set of proximity checks using the set of linguistic characteristics, the set of reference documents, and the text, wherein the proximity checks analyze how often and how close linguistic characteristics are to one another. The method also includes ranking the plurality of locations of origin based on the set of proximity scores and returning a set of one or more ranked locations of origin.

Abstract: A data processing system generates a result of processing a natural language query. A determination is made as to whether the natural language query or the result has a temporal characteristic. In response, a reminder notification data structure is generated having an associated scheduled reminder notification time for outputting a reminder notification of the result generated for the natural language query. The reminder notification data structure is stored in a data storage device and, at a later time from a time that the reminder notification data structure was stored in the data storage device, in response to the later time being equal to or later than the scheduled reminder notification time, a reminder notification is output to a client device associated with a user. The reminder notification specifies the result generated for the natural language query.

Abstract: A data processing system determines whether a natural language query or a result has a temporal characteristic. In response, at least one of user profile information or user activity history information for a user is analyzed to identify user characteristics indicative of a timeframe for scheduling a reminder notification of the result. A timeframe for scheduling the reminder notification is calculated based on results of analyzing the user profile information or user activity history information. A reminder notification is scheduled to be output at a scheduled reminder notification time based on the calculated timeframe. At a later time, in response to the later time being equal to or later than the scheduled reminder notification time, the reminder notification is output to a client device associated with the user, wherein the reminder notification specifies the result generated for the natural language query.

Abstract: A data processing system generates a result of processing a natural language query. A determination is made as to whether the natural language query or the result has a temporal characteristic. In response, a reminder notification data structure is generated having an associated scheduled reminder notification time for outputting a reminder notification of the result generated for the natural language query. The reminder notification data structure is stored in a data storage device and, at a later time from a time that the reminder notification data structure was stored in the data storage device, in response to the later time being equal to or later than the scheduled reminder notification time, a reminder notification is output to a client device associated with a user. The reminder notification specifies the result generated for the natural language query.

Abstract: An approach is provided to ingest software source code files into a question/answering (QA) system. During ingestion, source code blocks are classified to identify one or more constructs in the blocks as being domain-specific. Relationships between the blocks are then mapped. Software compliance regulations are ingested into the QA system. Using the QA system, a source code file is analyzed for compliance to the software compliance regulations. The analysis identifies code sections within the source code file as being domain-specific and subject to the ingested set of software compliance regulations.

Abstract: An approach is provided to ingest software source code files into a question/answering (QA) system. During ingestion, source code blocks are classified to identify one or more constructs in the blocks as being domain-specific. Relationships between the blocks are then mapped. Software compliance regulations are ingested into the QA system. Using the QA system, a source code file is analyzed for compliance to the software compliance regulations. The analysis identifies code sections within the source code file as being domain-specific and subject to the ingested set of software compliance regulations.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a text. The method also includes identifying a set of linguistic characteristics contained in the text. The method also includes determining a plurality of time periods in which the text was potentially written based on the set of linguistic characteristics. The method also includes retrieving a set of reference documents for each time period. The method also includes producing a set of proximity scores by performing a set of proximity checks using the set of linguistic characteristics, the set of reference documents, and the text, where the proximity checks analyze how often and how close linguistic characteristics are to one another. The method also includes ranking the plurality of time periods based on the set of proximity scores and returning a set of one or more ranked time periods of the plurality of time periods.

Abstract: Based on natural language processing of a passage of a first electronic document, a determination is made that the passage indicates an action to be undertaken. In response to this determination and based on an analysis of a second electronic document, the second electronic document is identified as incorporating content preconfigured to allow completion of the action. In response to this identification, the passage is linked to the second electronic document.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for identifying related information in dissimilar data are provided in the illustrative embodiments. Using a first part of a first entry in a dictionary, a first portion is identified in a first data, the first part matching the first portion within a tolerance. A second part of the first entry referencing a section of a second data is determined, the second data being organized in a repository according to a schema. A third part of the first entry sufficient to locate a record in the section of the second data is determined. A query is constructed using the second part and the third part, and performed on the second data. A result set is obtained, wherein a record in the result set is related to the first portion in the first data and the record does not include the first portion.

Abstract: A technique for dynamically generating game activities for a game (e.g., a role-playing game) includes loading game information about the game into a data processing system (e.g., a question answering system). Context data (e.g., a question) is received from a client (e.g., a player of the game, a user of the game, another system, or a game engine). In response to receiving the context data, a game activity is dynamically generated based on the context data and the game information. The game activity is then initiated in the game and presented to the client.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which an information handling system analyzes correction information corresponding to an answer generated by a question answer system. The correction information includes a correction to the answer and captured variable information utilized by the question answer system to generate the answer. The information handling system selects input variables based upon the correction analysis and generates a test case that includes the selected input variables and the variable information. In turn, the information handling system tests the question answer system using the generated test case.

Abstract: An approach is provided to determine answer stability in a question answering (QA) system. In the approach, a question submitted to a question answering (QA) system is selected and data pertaining to a candidate answers generated by the QA system are analyzed. The analysis of the data results in a stability characteristic that pertains to the candidate answers. A confidence value associated with the candidate answers is adjusted based on the respective answer's stability characteristic. One or more of the candidate answers are provided to a requestor based on the adjusted confidence values.

Abstract: An approach is provided to correct documents ingested by a question answering (QA) system. A document previously ingested by the QA system is selected. A correction to the selected document is identified from one or more correction sources and the correction is applied to the selected document within the QA system. In one embodiment, the correction source is a non-ingested document, such as a published document or an issued correction. In another embodiment, the correction source is a post in a forum. In this embodiment, a statement in the ingested document is compared with a contradictory statement found in an ingested post of a threaded discussion. The statement and the contradictory statement are evaluated by the QA system. The statement in the ingested document is replaced with the contradictory statement in response to the evaluation revealing that the contradictory statement is correct and that the statement is incorrect.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager detects an annotation error while attempting to annotate a document and, as such, segments the document into multiple document segments. The knowledge manager then detects another annotation error while attempting to annotate the multiple document segments, resulting in a set of unannotated document segments. In turn, the knowledge manager generates a notification that identifies the set of unannotated document segments.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager detects an annotation error while attempting to annotate a document and, as such, segments the document into multiple document segments. The knowledge manager then detects another annotation error while attempting to annotate the multiple document segments, resulting in a set of unannotated document segments. In turn, the knowledge manager generates a notification that identifies the set of unannotated document segments.

Abstract: An approach is provided to analyze posts included in threads of one or more threaded discussions. During the analysis, the approach identifies a parent post in one of the threads and identifies possible answers included in one or more child posts that refer to the parent post. The identified possible answers are scored and at least one of the identified possible answers is returned as an answer to the parent post.

Abstract: Test cases for a text annotator are generated by determining types of inputs to the annotator and analyzing language structures in a corpus to identify sentence types and grammar constructs. An input type can correspond to multiple grammar constructs. Test cases are generated by performing grammar tree transformations on selected fragments from the corpus based on the sentence types and the grammar constructs. Additional test cases are generated by replacing starting phrases in selected fragments with substitute phrases from dictionaries associated with the input types (a dictionary can include a false synonym for an input type for purposes of negative testing). The two generating approaches can be combined, i.e., performing one or more successive (different) grammar tree transformations to yield a sentence which is then subjected to phrase substitution.