Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer system (QA), for improving answers to an input question. An input question is received and parsed for a known set of critical information required to answer the input question. Responsive to one or more pieces of critical information failing to be identifiable in the input question, a user who submitted the input question is prompted for the one or more pieces of critical information via a graphical user interface (GUI).

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems, including computer program products, for creating subject matter synonyms from definitions extracted from a subject matter glossary. Confidence scores, each representing a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, are determined by applying natural language processing (e.g., passage term matching, lexical matching, and syntactic matching) to the extracted definitions. A subject matter thesaurus is built based on the confidence scores. In one embodiment, a statement containing a first term is created based on an extracted definition of the first term, a modified statement is created by substituting a second term in the statement in lieu of the first term, a corpus is searched, and a confidence score is determined based on evidence in the corpus that the modified statement is accurate. The first and second terms are marked as synonyms if the confidence score is greater than a threshold.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and computer system for scaling and managing requests on a massively parallel machine, such as one running in MIMD mode on a SIMD machine. A submit mux (multiplexer) is used to federate work requests and to forward the requests to the management node. A resource arbiter receives and manges these work requests. A MIMD job controller works with the resource arbiter to manage the work requests on the SIMD partition. The SIMD partition may utilize a mux of its own to federate the work requests and the computer nodes. Instructions are also provided to control and monitor the work requests.

Abstract: Mechanisms, in a data processing system, are provided for extracting semantic relationships amongst table contents in a table data structure associated with an electronic document. These mechanisms determine a configuration of cells within the table data structure. The mechanisms identify one or more super-cells within the table data structure based on the determined configuration of cells. The mechanisms also, for each super-cell in the one or more super-cells, converts table data corresponding to the super-cell into a semantic relationship statement for the super-cell, wherein the semantic relationship statement identifies one or more relationships between portions of the table data corresponding to the super-cell. The mechanisms further store the semantic relationship statements for each of the super-cells in association with the table data structure.

Abstract: A method for persistent data storage on a computer system with a kernel by retrieving configuration information regarding a system operation request and then deciding based on the configuration information whether to execute it with special persistent storage or to not do so. The configuration information may be stored on a central node or may be encoded onto any of the nodes. The special persistent storage may be a database. The method may further be implemented by a computer program product. It also may be implemented on a computer system.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to reduce an amount of processing required to generate a response to a first case by a deep question answering system, by, determining that a similarity score, of the first case relative to a second case, exceeds a similarity threshold, identifying a first feature of the second case having a first relevance score exceeding a relevance threshold, identifying a first candidate answer for the first case that does not have the first feature, and refraining from analyzing the first candidate answer in generating the response to the first case, thereby reducing the amount of processing of the deep question answering system.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to identify relevant features in a deep question answering system, by classifying a first case received by the deep question answering system, and, while training the deep question answering system to answer the first case, identifying a first feature in the first case, computing a first feature score for the first feature, the first feature score indicating a relevance of the first feature in generating a correct response to the first case, and, identifying the first feature as relevant in answering the classified first case upon determining that the first feature score exceeds a relevance threshold.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to reduce an amount of processing required to generate a response to a first case by a deep question answering system, by, determining that a similarity score, of the first case relative to a second case, exceeds a similarity threshold, identifying a first feature of the second case having a first relevance score exceeding a relevance threshold, identifying a first candidate answer for the first case that does not have the first feature, and refraining from analyzing the first candidate answer in generating the response to the first case, thereby reducing the amount of processing of the deep question answering system.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to identify changes in evidence used to answer questions by a deep question answering system, by identifying a first evidence related to a feature, the deep question answering system having identified the feature as being relevant to answering a first type of question of a plurality of types of questions, and responsive to: (i) detecting a change in the first evidence, and (ii) determining that a confidence score of a first response generated for a first question, of the first type of question, exceeds a confidence threshold, generating an updated response for the first question based on the changed first evidence.

Abstract: System and computer program product to perform an operation for query processing based on normalized search terms. The operation begins by, responsive to receiving a query, generating a normalized search term for a concept in the query based on a first language model, of a plurality of language models each having a predefined association with a respective concept. The operation then modifies the query to include the normalized search term, and executes the modified query against an indexed corpus of evidence including a first item of evidence. The operation then, upon determining that the first item of evidence includes the normalized search term, returns the first item of evidence as responsive to the query.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to identify changes in evidence used to answer questions by a deep question answering system, by identifying a first evidence related to a feature, the deep question answering system having identified the feature as being relevant to answering a first type of question of a plurality of types of questions, and responsive to: (i) detecting a change in the first evidence, and (ii) determining that a confidence score of a first response generated for a first question, of the first type of question, exceeds a confidence threshold, generating an updated response for the first question based on the changed first evidence.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to identify relevant features in a deep question answering system, by classifying a first case received by the deep question answering system, and, while training the deep question answering system to answer the first case, identifying a first feature in the first case, computing a first feature score for the first feature, the first feature score indicating a relevance of the first feature in generating a correct response to the first case, and, identifying the first feature as relevant in answering the classified first case upon determining that the first feature score exceeds a relevance threshold.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.

Abstract: Mechanisms, in a data processing system, are provided for extracting semantic relationships amongst table contents in a table data structure associated with an electronic document. These mechanisms determine a configuration of cells within the table data structure. The mechanisms identify one or more super-cells within the table data structure based on the determined configuration of cells. The mechanisms also, for each super-cell in the one or more super-cells, converts table data corresponding to the super-cell into a semantic relationship statement for the super-cell, wherein the semantic relationship statement identifies one or more relationships between portions of the table data corresponding to the super-cell. The mechanisms further store the semantic relationship statements for each of the super-cells in association with the table data structure.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for invoking an analysis routine running on a parallel computer system to analyze query results. A query generated using a query builder application for execution against a database to produce query results. Embodiments receive a selection of one of a plurality of analysis routines to apply to the query results. A command and the query results are transmitted to a compute node of a parallel computer system using an established network connection. Embodiments invoke the selected analysis routine on the parallel computing system using the translated command and the query results to produce analysis routine results. The analysis routine results are merged with the query results to produce merged results, and the merged results are output for display.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for invoking an analysis routine running on a parallel computer system to analyze query results. An interface used to build and execute a database query may be used to invoke a complex analysis routine on a parallel computer system to analyze query results obtained by executing the database query. Alternatively, a user may build a query that includes specific conditions evaluated by an analysis routine on the parallel computer system (as opposed to selecting an analysis routine after receiving query results).

Abstract: Optimizing the deployment of a workload on a distributed processing system, the distributed processing system having a plurality of nodes, each node having a plurality of attributes, including: profiling during operations on the distributed processing system attributes of the nodes of the distributed processing system; selecting a workload for deployment on a subset of the nodes of the distributed processing system; determining specific resource requirements for the workload to be deployed; determining a required geometry of the nodes to run the workload; selecting a set of nodes having attributes that meet the specific resource requirements and arranged to meet the required geometry; deploying the workload on the selected nodes.

Abstract: A method for resource management on a computer system utilizing hardware and environmental information. A caller interacts with an application program interface to handle information requests with a persistent data storage device to combine information involving hardware resource information, environmental data and other system information, all both historical, present and predicted values. Application execution decisions may then made regarding hardware for the calling entity. The method may be implemented as a computer process.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for invoking an analysis routine running on a parallel computer system to analyze query results. An interface used to build and execute a database query may be used to invoke a complex analysis routine on a parallel computer system to analyze query results obtained by executing the database query. Alternatively, a user may build a query that includes specific conditions evaluated by an analysis routine on the parallel computer system (as opposed to selecting an analysis routine after receiving query results).