Algorithm for automatic interpretation of noun sequences

This paper describes an algorithm for automatically interpreting noun sequences in unrestricted text. This system uses broadcoverage semantic information which has been acquired automatically by analyzing the definitions in an on-line dictionary. Previously, computational studies of noun sequences made use of hand-coded semantic information, and they applied the analysis rules sequentially. In contrast, the task of analyzing noun sequences in unrestricted text strongly favors an algorithm according to which the rules are applied in parallel and the best interpretation is determined by weights associated with rule applications.