Using natural language processing (NLP) to create subject matter synonyms from definitions

A computer-implemented method for creating subject matter synonyms from definitions of terms defined in a subject matter glossary, comprising:

• extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary, wherein extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary includes:
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a first term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• and
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a second term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary, wherein each confidence score represents a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, wherein determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary includes:
• creating a first statement, wherein the first statement contains the first term and is based on the definition of the first term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified first statement by substituting in the first statement the second term in lieu of the first term;
• searching in a corpus for evidence that the modified first statement is accurate;
• determining a first confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified first statement is accurate;
• creating a second statement, wherein the second statement contains the second term and is based on the definition of the second term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified second statement by substituting in the second statement the first term in lieu of the second term;
• searching in the corpus for evidence that the modified second statement is accurate;
• determining a second confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified second statement is accurate;
• calculating a total confidence score based on the first confidence score and the second confidence score;
• and
• building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores, wherein building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores includes:
• marking the first term and the second term as synonyms if the total confidence score is greater than a first threshold.

A computer program product for creating subject matter synonyms from definitions of terms defined in a subject matter glossary, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

• extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary, wherein extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary includes:
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a first term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary, wherein each confidence score represents a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, wherein determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary includes:
• creating a first statement, wherein the first statement contains the first term and is based on the definition of the first term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified first statement by substituting in the first statement a second term in lieu of the first term, wherein the second term is defined in the subject matter glossary;
• searching in a corpus for evidence that the modified first statement is accurate;
• and
• determining a total confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified first statement is accurate;
• and
• building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores, wherein building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores includes:
• marking the first term and the second term as synonyms if the total confidence score is greater than a first threshold.

A computer program product for creating subject matter synonyms from definitions of terms defined in a subject matter glossary, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

• extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary, wherein extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary includes:
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a first term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• and
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a second term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary, wherein each confidence score represents a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, wherein determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary includes:
• creating a first statement, wherein the first statement contains the first term and is based on the definition of the first term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified first statement by substituting in the first statement the second term in lieu of the first term;
• searching in a corpus for evidence that the modified first statement is accurate;
• determining a first confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified first statement is accurate;
• creating a second statement, wherein the second statement contains the second term and is based on the definition of the second term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified second statement by substituting in the second statement the first term in lieu of the second term;
• searching in the corpus for evidence that the modified second statement is accurate;
• determining a second confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified second statement is accurate;
• calculating a total confidence score based on the first confidence score and the second confidence score;
• and
• building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores, wherein building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores includes:
• marking the first term and the second term as synonyms if the total confidence score is greater than a first threshold.

A computer system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• a synonym creation mechanism executed by one or more of the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
• extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary, wherein extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary includes:
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a first term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary, wherein each confidence score represents a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, wherein determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary includes:
• creating a first statement, wherein the first statement contains the first term and is based on the definition of the first term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified first statement by substituting in the first statement a second term in lieu of the first term, wherein the second term is defined in the subject matter glossary;
• searching in a corpus for evidence that the modified first statement is accurate;
• and
• determining a total confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified first statement is accurate;
• and
• building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores, wherein building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores includes:
• marking the first term and the second term as synonyms if the total confidence score is greater than a first threshold.

A computer system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• a synonym creation mechanism executed by one or more of the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
• extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary, wherein extracting from a subject matter glossary definitions of terms defined in the subject matter glossary includes:
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a first term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• and
• extracting from the subject matter glossary a definition of a second term defined in the subject matter glossary;
• determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary, wherein each confidence score represents a likelihood that two terms defined in the subject matter glossary are synonyms, wherein determining a plurality of confidence scores by applying natural language processing to the definitions extracted from the subject matter glossary includes:
• creating a first statement, wherein the first statement contains the first term and is based on the definition of the first term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified first statement by substituting in the first statement the second term in lieu of the first term;
• searching in a corpus for evidence that the modified first statement is accurate;
• determining a first confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified first statement is accurate;
• creating a second statement, wherein the second statement contains the second term and is based on the definition of the second term extracted from the subject matter glossary;
• creating a modified second statement by substituting in the second statement the first term in lieu of the second term;
• searching in the corpus for evidence that the modified second statement is accurate;
• determining a second confidence score based on evidence in the corpus that the modified second statement is accurate;
• calculating a total confidence score based on the first confidence score and the second confidence score;
• and
• building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores, wherein building a subject matter thesaurus based on the confidence scores includes:
• marking the first term and the second term as synonyms if the total confidence score is greater than a first threshold.