# Question answering: from partitions to Prolog

Source: [Question answering: from partitions to Prolog](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/68fa5f9c1e209131ce9ead83>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2025-10-25T19:21:46.312Z

Authors: Balder D. ten Cate, Chung-chieh Shan

Published: 2002-09-04T20:46:59.000Z

## Abstract

We implement Groenendijk and Stokhof's partition semantics of questions in a simple question answering algorithm. The algorithm is sound, complete, and based on tableau theorem proving. The algorithm relies on a syntactic characterization of answerhood: Any answer to a question is equivalent to some formula built up only from instances of the question. We prove this characterization by translating the logic of interrogation to classical predicate logic and applying Craig's interpolation theorem.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0209009>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/cs/0209009.pdf>)