BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN NATURAL AND COMPUTER LANGUAGE

Very few people possess the skill to express themselves concisely and unambiguously in natural language (NL). Modern society nevertheless can expect a continuing increase in demand for the production of NL text, for the concomitant comprehension of this information, and for converting NL information into computer languages (CLs). The semantic errors and confusion which usually result from the imprecise use of NL will therefore be multiplied, particularly in the latter case. A solution to this problem is proposed, based on a language LESK (Language for Exactly Stating Knowledge), which is intermediate between NLs and CLs. LESK looks like NL, but employs simple mathematical, linguistic, and computer principles. An example in which LESK is used to clarify some of a university's academic rules is presented. It is argued that both developed and developing nations could benefit greatly from widespread use of a lanugage like LESK.