SHRDLU grounds language in a small world

Language, reasoning, and action were integrated in a constrained blocks world.

Terry Winograd

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The contribution

Winograd described a system that interpreted instructions and questions with reference to objects and actions in a small simulated environment. The work demonstrated how syntax, semantic representations, and domain knowledge could cooperate in a conversational system.

What this does not establish

The blocks world was deliberately restricted. Success there did not imply general language understanding in open environments.

Why this date?

This timeline uses the 1971 MIT thesis/report, rather than a development date or the 1972 book.

This entry follows the linked publication. Read the source and date conventions.

The original work

Procedures as a Representation for Data in a Computer Program for Understanding Natural Language

Authors: Terry Winograd
Publication: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, AI-TR-235
Source type: Thesis / research report

MIT thesis and report archive

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Cited By

Atlas entries whose reference lists cite this work or the publication version noted below.

No Atlas entries are currently recorded as citing this work.

Citations

Works in the Atlas cited by this entry.

Natural Language Input for a Computer Problem Solving System (1964)
Reference 3 cites the chapter version under a 1964 label; this entry dates the original report. Check the reference list.
SIR: A Computer Program for Semantic Information Retrieval (1964)
Reference 46, printed page 461. The reference points to the later chapter version under a 1964 citation label. Check the reference list.
A Machine-Oriented Logic Based on the Resolution Principle (1965)
Reference 47 names this paper, but its issue and page details conflict with the original article. Check the reference list.
Semantic Memory (1966)
Reference 44, printed page 461, identifies the chapter version under the 1966 citation label. Check the reference list.
The Use of Theorem-Proving Techniques in Question-Answering Systems (1968)
Reference 20: the citation label says 1969b, while the proceedings and original paper identify 1968. Check the reference list.
A Net Structure Based Relational Question Answerer: Description and Examples (1969)
Reference 48 cites this paper, pages 325-346. The persistence claim is documented on printed page 326 of the original. Check the reference list.
Application of Theorem Proving to Problem Solving (1969)
Reference 19 cites Application of Theorem Proving to Problem Solving in the 1969 IJCAI proceedings. Check the reference list.
Computer Solution of Calculus Word Problems (1969)
Reference 7 cites the 1969 IJCAI paper, pages 303-316. Check the reference list.
PLANNER: A Language for Proving Theorems in Robots (1969)
Reference 27 cites the 1969 conference paper; the later memorandum is a separate reference. Check the reference list.
The teachable language comprehender: a simulation program and theory of language (1969)
Reference 45, printed page 461. Check the reference list.
Using Relational Operators to Structure Long-Term Memory (1969)
Reference 54, printed page 462. Check the reference list.

Bibliography coverage: Reference section indexed. Open the source.

Scanned bibliography pages processed with Windows OCR. The readable citation metadata was checked against the images and OCR; raw OCR is retained with page numbers and hashes. Spelling and source-publication inconsistencies may remain. Only reviewed Atlas matches become citation links.

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Bibliography (PDF pages 457, 458, 459, 460, 461)

1. <Bar-Hillel 1964> Bar-Hillel, Jehoshua, LANGUAGE AND INFORMATION, Addison Wesley, 1964. 2. <Black 1964> Black, F., "A Deductive Question Answering System," in Minsky (ed.) SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, pp. 354-402. 3. <Bobrow 1964> Bobrow, Daniel G., "Natural Language Input for a Computer Problem Solving System," in Minsky (ed.), SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, pp. 135-215. 4. <Bobrow 1967> Bobrow, Daniel, "Syntactic Theory in Computer Implementations," in Borko (ed.), AUTOMATED LANGUAGE PROCESSING, pp. 217-252. 5. <Bobrow 1969> Bobrow, Daniel, and J.B. Fraser, "An Augmented State Transition Network Analysis Procedure," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 557-568. 6. <Borko 1967> Borko, Harold (ed.), AUTOMATED LANGUAGE PROCESSING, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1967. 7. <Charniak 1969> Charniak, Eugene, "Computer Solution of Calculus Word Problems," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 303-316. 8. <Chomsky 1957> Chomsky, Noam, SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES, Mouton and Co., The Hague, 1957. 9. <Chomsky 1965> Chomsky, Noam, ASPECTS OF THE THEORY OF SYNTAX, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1965. 10. <Coles 1967> Coles, L. Stephen, "Syntax Directed Interpretation of Natural Language," Doctoral Dissertation, Carnegie Mellon University, 1967. 11. <Coles 1968> Coles, L. Stephen, "An On-Line Question-Answering System With Natural Language and Pictorial Input," Proc. National ACM Conference, 1968, pp. 157-167. 12. <Craig 1966> Craig, J.A., S.C. Berezner, H.C. Carney, and C.R. Longyear, "DEACON: Direct English Access and Control," Proc. FJCC 1966, pp. 365-380. 13. <Darlington 1964> Darlington, J., "Translating Ordinary Language into Symbolic Logic," Memo MAC-M-149 Project MAC, M.I.T., 1964. 14. <Earley 1966> Earley, J.C., "Generating a Recognizer for a BNF Grammar," Comp Center Paper, Carnegie Mellon Univ., 1966. 15. <Feigenbaum 1963> Feigenbaum, Edward A., and J. Feldman, COMPUTERS AND THOUGHT, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1963. 16. <Fodor 1964> Fodor, J.A., and J.J. Katz, (ed.) THE STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1964. 17. <Fodor 1967> Fodor, J.A., and M. Garrett, "Some Syntactic Determinants of Sentential Complexity," PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOPHYSICS, 1967, Vol. 2(7). 18. <Garvin 1965> Garvin, P.L., et. al., "A Syntactic Analyzer Study - Final Report," Bunker-Ramo Corp., Rome Air Development Center, RADC-TR-65-309, Dec. 1965. 19. <Green 1969a> Green, Cordell, "Application of Theorem Proving to Problem Solving," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 219-240. 20. <Green 1969b> Green, Cordell, and B. Raphael, "The Use of Theorem-Proving Techniques in Question-Answering Systems," Proc. of ACM National Conference, 1968, pp. 169-181. 21. <Green, P. 1961> Green, P.F., A.K. Wolf, C. Chomsky, and K. Laugherty, "BASEBALL: An Automatic Question-Answerer," in Feigenbaum and Feldman (ed.) COMPUTERS AND THOUGHT, pp. 207-216. 22. <Halliday 1961> Halliday, M.A.K., "Categories of the Theory of Grammar," WORD 17, 1961. 23. <Halliday 1966a> Halliday, M.A.K., "Some Notes on 'Deep' Grammar," JOURNAL OF LINGUISTICS 2, 1966. 24. <Halliday 1966b> Halliday, M.A.K., "The English Verbal Group: A Specimen of a Manual of Analysis," Nuffield Programme in Linguistics and English Teaching, Work Paper VI, 1966. 25. <Halliday 1967> Halliday, M.A.K., "Notes on Transitivity and Theme in English," JOURNAL OF LINGUISTICS 3, 1967. 26. <Halliday 1970> Halliday, M.A.K., "Functional Diversity in Language as Seen From a Consideration of Modality and Mood in English," FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE 6 (1970), pp. 322-361. 27. <Hewitt 1969> Hewitt, Carl, "PLANNER: A Language for Proving Theorems in Robots," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 295-301. 28. <Hewitt 1970> Hewitt, Carl, PLANNER, MAC-M-385, Project MAC, M.I.T. October, 1968, revised August, 1970. 29. <Huddleston 1965> Huddleston, R.D., "Rank and Depth," LANGUAGE 41, 1965. 30. <Hudson 1967> Hudson, R.A., "Constituency in a Systemic Description of the English Clause," LINGUA 17, 1967. 31. <Katz 1964> Katz, J.J., and J.A. Fodor, "The Structure of a Semantic Theory," in Fodor and Katz (ed.) THE STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE, pp. 479-518. 32. <Kellogg 1968> Kellogg, C., "A Natural Language Compiler for On-line Data Management," Proc. of FJCC, 1968, pp. 473-492. 33. <Klima 1964> Klima, Edward, "Negation in English," in Fodor and Katz (ed.), THE STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE, pp. 246-323. 34. <Kuno 1965> Kuno, S., "The Predictive Analyzer and a Path Elimination Technique," CACM 8:7 (July 1965), pp. 453-462. 35. <Lindsay 1964> Lindsay, Robert, "Inferential Memory as the Basis of Machines Which Understand Natural Language," in Feigenbaum and Feldman (ed.) COMPUTERS AND THOUGHT, pp. 217-236. 36. <McConlogue 1965> McConlogue, K.L., and R. Simmons, "Analyzing English Syntax with the Pattern-Learning Parser," CACM 8:11 (November 1965), pp. 687-698. 37. <Michie 1968> Michie, D. (ed.), MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 3., American Elsevier Press, New York, 1968. 38. <Miller 1951> Miller, George, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1951. 39. <Minsky 1965> Minsky, Marvin, "Matter, Mind, and Models," in Minsky (ed.), SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, pp. 425-432. 40. <Minsky 1968> Minsky, Marvin (ed.), SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1968. 41. <Minsky 1970> Minsky, Marvin, "Form and Content in Computer Science," JACM, Jan., 1970. 42. <NAS 1966> National Academy of Sciences, LANGUAGE AND MACHINES: COMPUTERS IN TRANSLATION AND LINGUISTICS, National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., 1966. 43. <Petrick 1965> Petrick, S., "A Recognition Procedure for Transformational Grammars," Doctoral Dissertation, M.I.T., 1965. 44. <Quillian 1966> Quillian, M. Ross, "Semantic Memory," in Minsky (ed.) SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, pp. 216-270. 45. <Quillian 1969> Quillian, M. Ross, "The Teachable Language Comprehender," CACM 12:8 (August 1969), pp. 459-475. 46. <Raphael 1964> Raphael, Bertram, "SIR: A Computer Program for Semantic Information Retrieval," in Minsky (ed.) SEMANTIC INFORMATION PROCESSING, pp. 33-134. 47. <Robinson 1965> Robinson, J.A., "A Machine-Oriented Logic Based on the Resolution Principle," JACM 12:4 (October 1965), pp. 536-541. 48. <Shapiro 1969> Shapiro, Stuart C., and G.H. Woodmansee, "A Net Structure Based Relational Question Answerer: Description and Examples," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 325-346. 49. <Siklossy 1968> Siklossy, L., "Natural Language Learning by Computer," Doctoral Dissertation, Carnegie Mellon Univ., 1968. 50. <Simmons 1966> Simmons, R.F., J.F. Burger, and R.E. Long, "An Approach Toward Answering English Questions from Text," Proc. of FJCC 1966, pp. 357-363. 51. <Simmons 1968> Simmons, R.F., J.F. Burger, and R. Schwarcz, "A Computational Model of Verbal Understanding," Proc. of FJCC 1968, pp. 441-456. 52. <Slagle 1965> Slagle, James R., "Experiments with a Deductive Question-Answering Program," CACM, 8:12 (December 1965), pp. 792-798. 53. <Sussman 1970> Sussman, Gerald, T. Winograd, and E. Charniak, "Micro-Planner Reference Manual," AI Memo 203, Project MAC, M.I.T., July, 1970. 54. <Tharp 1969> Tharp, Alan L., and G.K. Krulee, "Using Relational Operators to Structure Long-Term Memory," Proc. of IJCAI, 1969, pp. 579-586. 55. <Thompson 1966> Thompson, F.B., "English for the Computer," Proc. of FJCC, 1966, pp. 349-356. 56. <Thorne 1968> Thorne, J., P. Bratley, and H. Dewar, "The Syntactic Analysis of English by Machine," in Michie, D. (ed.) MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 3., pp. 281-310. 57. <Thorne 1969> Thorne, J., "A Program for the Syntactic Analysis of English Sentences," CACM 12:8 (August 1969), pp. 476-480. 58. <Weizenbaum 1966> Weizenbaum, J., "ELIZA" CACM 9:1 (January 1966), pp. 36-45. 59. <Weizenbaum 1967> Weizenbaum, J., "Contextual Understanding by Computers," CACM 10:8 (August 1967), pp. 474-480. 60. <White 1970> White, Jon L., "Interim LISP Progress Report," AI Memo 190, Project MAC, M.I.T., March, 1970. 61. <Winograd 1968> Winograd, Terry, "Linguistics and the Computer Analysis of Tonal Harmony," JOURNAL OF MUSIC THEORY 12:1, 1968, pp. 2-49. 62. <Winograd 1969> Winograd, Terry, "An Interpretive Theory of Language," unpublished term paper, M.I.T., 1969. 63. <Woods 1967> Woods, William A., "Semantics for a Question-Answering System," Report No. NSF-19, Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard Univ., Sept. 1967. 64. <Woods 1968> Woods, W., "Procedural Semantics for a Question-Answering Machine," Proc. FJCC, 1968, pp. 457-471. 65. <Woods 1969> Woods, William A., "Augmented Transition Networks for Natural Language Analysis," Report No. CS-1, Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard Univ., Dec. 1969. 66. <Zwicky 1965> Zwicky, A.M., J. Friedman, B.C. Hall, and D.E. Walker, "The MITRE Syntactic Analysis Procedure for Transformational Grammars," Proc. of FJCC, 1965, pp. 317-326.

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The contribution

What this does not establish

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