Affiliations: Visiting Professor, Dept. of Computer Science,
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-9010, USA. yingxuw@stanford.edu | International Center for Cognitive Informatics (ICfCI),
Theoretical and Empirical Software Engineering Research Centre (TESERC), Dept.
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering,
University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N
1N4. yingxu@ucalgary.ca
Note: [] Address for correspondence: International Center for Cognitive
Informatics (ICfCI), Theoretical and Empirical Software Engineering Research
Centre (TESERC), Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Schulich School
of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Abstract: This paper presents a formal syntax framework of natural languages
for computational linguistics. The abstract syntax of natural languages,
particularly English, and their formal manipulations are described. On the
basis of the abstract syntax, a universal language processing model and the
deductive grammar of English are developed toward the formalization of
Chomsky's universal grammar in linguistics. Comparative analyses of
natural and programming languages, as well as the linguistic perception on
software engineering, are discussed. A wide range of applications of the
deductive grammar of English have been explored in language acquisition,
comprehension, generation, and processing in cognitive informatics,
computational intelligence, and cognitive computing.
