Fact Retrieval and Deductive Question-Answering Information Retrieval Systems

Abstract

Information Retrieval systems may be classified either as Document Retrieval systems or Fact Retrieval systems. It is contended that at least some of the latter will require the capability for performing logical deductions among natural language sentences. The problem of developing systems of logical inference for natural languages is discussed, and an example of such an analysis of a sublanguage of English is presented. An experimental Fact Retrieval system which incorporates this analysis has been programmed for the IBM 7090 computer, and its main algorithms are stated.