Glossary:Sorts/Types
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Types
AE:
- Type: (/taɪp/)
Definition
In logic and semantics a concept of type is often used to distinguish different
kinds of expression (and of semantic value). These types are used as syntactic
categories for the expressions in the semantic representation language. Each type
will correspond to a certain set of possible denotations.
The (minimal) set of basic types is {e, t}:
– e (for entity) is the type of individual terms
– t (for truth value) is the type of formulae
All pairs <ϭ, τ> made up of (basic or complex) types ϭ, τ
are types. <ϭ, τ> is the type of functions which map
arguments of type ϭ to values of type τ.
In short: The set of types is the smallest set T such that
e,tєT, and if ϭ,τ єT, then also <ϭ,τ> єT.
Examples
1) Homer slept. <e,t> - sleep is an intransitive verb that does not require an object
2) Homer choked Bart. <e,<e,t>> - choke is a transitive verb and requires a direct object
Related terms
Literature
Sorts
AE:
- Sort: (/sɔː(r)t/)
Definition
In semantics, there are different sorts of entities. You distinguish between entities which represent a single person or object and entities that represent a group of persons/objects. Additionally, you differentiate between concrete and abstract entities. A concrete entity refers to a specific object, e.g. a particular being (which usually has a name); on the other hand, an abstract entity refers to a non-specific object.
Examples
Example: The election of Mayor Quimby took place on Sunday.
Solution: The election of Mayor Quimby refers to a concrete (single) event.