ESSENTIAL SNePS READINGS

Introduction:

1. There are two versions of SNePS: The current implementation is SNePS-2.7, which is the latest in a series beginning with SNePS-2.0. A completely new implementation, with a very different representational scheme, is SNePS-3.
2. There are also two interface languages:
   1. SNePSUL (the SNePS User Language), with a Lisp-like syntax
   2. SNePSLOG, with a predicate-logic-like syntax.
3. Most of the readings below discuss various implementations of SNePS-2.x and SNePSUL.
4. To go to the SNePS homepage, click on "SNePS" in the title above.
5. To go to the complete SNePS bibliography, click on "READINGS" in the title above.

If you are new to SNePS, I would suggest beginning with:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C. (2000), "SNePS: A Logic for Natural Language Understanding and Commonsense Reasoning" [Postscript], in Lucja M. Iwanska, & Stuart C. Shapiro (eds.), Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Representation: Language for Knowledge and Knowledge for Language (Menlo Park, CA/Cambridge, MA: AAAI Press/MIT Press): 175-195.
   • A good introduction to the SNePSLOG approach to SNePS and to the logic underlying SNePS-2's reasoning system.

2. Martins, João P. (2002), Section on SNePS from draft of unpublished knowledge representation text [PDF]
   • A good, textbook-style introduction to the semantic-network/SNePSUL approach to SNePS-2.x.

3. Shapiro, Stuart C. and Rapaport, William J. (1995), "An Introduction to a Computational Reader of Narrative" [PDF], in Judith Felson Duchan, Gail A. Bruder, & Lynne E. Hewitt (eds.), Deixis in Narrative: A Cognitive Science Perspective (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates): 79-105.
   • An introduction to using SNePS and its use in understanding natural-language texts.

To get started using SNePSUL and SNePS-2.7, use:

• Shapiro, Stuart C. and Rapaport, William J. (2003), "SNePS: An Interactive Approach".
  • Note: The representations used in this tutorial are for pedagogical purposes only, and are not necessarily the ones that we ourselves use for our research. For the latter, see Shapiro et al. 1996 (listed below under the heading "Of Practical Interest").

For examples of uses of SNePS-2.x, read:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C. (1989), "The CASSIE Projects: An Approach to Natural Language Competence" [Postscript], in João P. Martins & Ernesto M. Morgado (eds.), EPIA 89: 4th Portugese Conference on Artificial Intelligence Proceedings, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 390 (Berlin: Springer-Verlag): 362-380.
   • Contains examples of SNePS-2's use in natural-language understanding.

2. Shapiro, Stuart C. (1991), "Case Studies of SNePS" [Postscript], Special Issue on Implemented Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Systems, SIGART Bulletin 2.3 (June): 128-134.
   • Contains examples of SNePS-2's in a wide variety of situations.

For a broad overview of the goals and design of SNePS-2 as a knowledge-representation and reasoning system, read:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C., & Rapaport, William J. (1987), "SNePS Considered as a Fully Intensional Propositional Semantic Network" [PDF], in Nick Cercone & Gordon McCalla (eds.), The Knowledge Frontier: Essays in the Representation of Knowledge (New York: Springer-Verlag): 262-315.
   • This contains the syntax and semantics of some of the more common case frames that we have used (though parts of it have been superseded).

2. Shapiro, Stuart C. and Rapaport, William J. (1992), "The SNePS Family" [Postscript], Computers & Mathematics with Applications 23: 243-275; reprinted in Fritz Lehmann (ed.), Semantic Networks in Artificial Intelligence (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1992): 243-275.
   • This contains some of the early history of SNePS.

For an introduction to SNePSLOG, look at:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C. (2004), "Lecture Notes on SNePS[LOG] from CSE 4/563, Spring, 2004" [Postscript].

2. Shapiro, Stuart C. (2005, in progress), "An Introduction to SNePS".
   • Available from UBCSE machines at /projects/shapiro/Sneps/SnepsIntro/intro.dvi together with demo files.

For an introduction to SNeRE, the SNePS Rational Engine (the acting model) read:

• Shapiro, Stuart C. & the SNePS Implementation Group (2007), "SNePS 2.7 User's Manual" [PDF], Chs. 4, 7.3.

For an overview of the GLAIR architecture for embodied agents:

• Shapiro, Stuart C. & Ismail, Haythem O. (2003), "Anchoring in a Grounded Layered Architecture with Integrated Reasoning" [PDF], Robotics and Autonomous Systems 43(2-3) (May): 97-108.

Of practical interest:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C. & the SNePS Implementation Group (2007), "SNePS 2.7 User's Manual" [PDF].

2. Shapiro, Stuart C.; Rapaport, William J.; Cho, Sung-Hye; Choi, Joongmin; Feit, Elissa; Haller, Susan; Kankiewicz, Jason; & Kumar, Deepak (1996), "A Dictionary of SNePS Case Frames" [Postscript].

Of historical interest:

• Shapiro, Stuart C. (1979), "The SNePS Semantic Network Processing System", in Nicholas V. Findler (ed.), Associative Networks: The Representation and Use of Knowledge by Computers (New York: Academic Press): 179-203.

Of current and future interest:

1. Shapiro, Stuart C. (2000), "An Introduction to SNePS 3" [Postscript], in Bernhard Ganter & Guy W. Mineau (eds.), Conceptual Structures: Logical, Linguistic, and Computational Issues, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 1867 (Berlin: Springer-Verlag): 510-524.

2. The SNePS-3 webpage.