Formal Semantics

A Brief Introduction

Contents
1. Richard Montague

2. The FSs Target and Tools

3. Functional Type Theory

Richard Merritt Montague (1930 1971) was an American mathematician and philosopher.

There is in my opinion no important theoretical difference between natural languages and the artificial languages of logicians; indeed, I consider it possible to comprehend the syntax and semantics of both kinds of languages within a single natural and mathematically precise theory. On this point I differ from a number of philosophers, but agree, I believe, with Chomsky and his associates. (Montague 1970 )

While some of the earlier work in this tradition was directed at purposes of no concern to the linguist (as when philosophers hoped to expose their colleagues fallacious arguments more convincingly by applying logical analysis to them), there has been increasing interest in logical semantics as a contribution to linguistic theory, more specically, a contribution to a theory of one subsystem of grammar, the (or one of the) semantic component(s). Heim 1982)

. The FSs target

FS assumes an intersubjective level of shared information, a conceptualization of the world, the world as we jointly structure it (Landman). FS explores the structure of conceptualized world and how it is related to natural language.

Tools
1.Logic languages: predicate logic, type theory, -calculation 2.Algebra 3.Discourse Representation theory. Natural language Logic language Model Conceptualized world

Benefits brought by formal instruments

We are armed with unambiguous instruments which are favored in dealing with natural language where ambiguity is widespread. Direct study of a formal system can yield results which can be applied generally to all systems which are models of it. Also, once we show that a certain system is equivalent in its formal structure to another better known system, what we know about the latter may transfer to new insights about the former (Partee).

Logic language
Predicate logic John is fat Fat (John) Everyone is fat. x[ man(x) fat(x)] Lexicon: term (individual constant), predicate constant, variable, logical constant. Grammar: All variables in a predicate must be bound to turn a predicate into a proposition.

Model
A Model provides a description of conceptualized world and an interpretation for logic language. A simplified model for predicate logical language L is a triple: M = <D,F,g> where: 1. D, the domain of M, is a non-empty set (the domain of individuals) 2. F, the interpretation function of M for the nonlogical constants of L is a function such that: a. for every c CONL: F(c) D b. for every P PREDnL: F(P) pow(Dn) Here Dn = {<d1,...,dn>: d1,...,dn D} c. for every S StatementL: F(S) {0,1} 3. if x VAR then x = g(x)

Tarski, Montague, Chomsky, Partee, is the teacher of Chomsky is the teacher of Montague=0

Tarski, Montague, Chomsky, Partee, < Chomsky , Partee>, <Tarski, Montague>

 A Model is driven by a logic language. We may include time, possible worlds, events, etc. into the model. It is a vital work to build a proper model, the structure of which may be an object of research.

Mapping
The relationship of negation A true statement 1 1A true statement

A false statement0 t <t, t> = t+ <t, t> =t

0A false statement t

Type theory
Let e and t be two symbols. TYPE is the smallest set such that: 1. e,t TYPE 2. if a,b TYPE then <a,b> TYPE In FL, e=individual; t=truth value (you can take it as the meaning of a statement for the moment)

Tarski, Montague, Chomsky, Partee: e Chomsky is alive: t Alive =? Since statements type is always t If in natural language either one from two elements which are grammatically combined is the functor and takes the other as the argument, then Alive =<e, t>

Alive: Tarski, a true statement 1

Montague,
a false statement 0 Chomsky, Partee

Vt: Tarski taught Montague taught=<e,<e,t>> taught Montague= <e,t> Tarski taught Montague=t Adv= <<e,t>, <e,t>> Connectives=?

Thank you!