Using higher order actions to annotate a syntax tree with real data for concepts used to generate an answer to a question

A computer program product for processing language statements in a computing system, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium comprising:

• a syntax tree generated from a question to process comprising an information space annotated with concepts corresponding to tokens in the syntax tree, wherein a concept comprises an object in a domain of the question and relates to other concepts in an ontology of the domain;
• a plurality of actions in the domain of the question having parameters;
• and
• a higher order action that specifies an input, action parameters, and an output, wherein the higher order action is processed to determine an element in the information space of the syntax tree corresponding to the input of the higher order action and to determine an action of the plurality of actions having parameters matching the action parameters, wherein the determined element is provided as input to the determined action to produce output of the determined action that is processed according to the output specified by the higher order action, and wherein the information space of the syntax tree is further annotated with the output from the higher order action to use to provide an answer to the question.

A system for processing language statements, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
• generating a syntax tree from a question to process;
• annotating an information space of the syntax tree with concepts corresponding to tokens in the syntax tree, wherein a concept comprises an object in a domain of the question and relates to other concepts in an ontology of the domain;
• providing a higher order action that specifies an input, action parameters, and an output;
• determining an element in the information space of the syntax tree corresponding to the input of the higher order action;
• determining an action of a plurality of actions in the domain of the question having parameters matching the action parameters;
• providing the determined element as input to the determined action to produce output of the determined action that is processed according to the output specified by the higher order action;
• and
• annotating the information space of the syntax tree with the output from the higher order action to use to provide an answer to the question.

A system for processing language statements, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code executed by the processor comprising:
• a syntax tree generated from a question to process comprising an information space annotated with concepts corresponding to tokens in the syntax tree, wherein a concept comprises an object in a domain of the question and relates to other concepts in an ontology of the domain;
• a plurality of actions in the domain of the question having parameters;
• and
• a higher order action that specifies an input, action parameters, and an output, wherein the higher order action is processed to determine an element in the information space of the syntax tree corresponding to the input of the higher order action and to determine an action of the plurality of actions having parameters matching the action parameters, wherein the determined element is provided as input to the determined action to produce output of the determined action that is processed according to the output specified by the higher order action, and wherein the information space of the syntax tree is further annotated with the output from the higher order action to use to provide an answer to the question.

A method for processing language statements, comprising:

• generating a syntax tree from a question to process;
• annotating an information space of the syntax tree with concepts corresponding to tokens in the syntax tree, wherein a concept comprises an object in a domain of the question and relates to other concepts in an ontology of the domain;
• providing a higher order action that specifies an input, action parameters, and an output;
• determining an element in the information space of the syntax tree corresponding to the input of the higher order action;
• determining an action of a plurality of actions in the domain of the question having parameters matching the action parameters;
• providing the determined element as input to the determined action to produce output of the determined action that is processed according to the output specified by the higher order action;
• and
• annotating the information space of the syntax tree with the output from the higher order action to use to provide an answer to the question.