SBVR — Correct specification of question and answer nominalization

Doc: dtc/06-03-02
Date: March 2006
Version: Interim Convenience Document
Chapter: 9.1.1.10
Pages:
Nature: Editorial
Severity: minor

Description:

In 9.1.1.10, there are several problems with the specification of 'question nominalization'

"Definition: projecting formulation of a referent question being formulated by a particular projection"

No modeled property of a question nominalization refers to a question. Change to:
"noun concept that refers to all questions whose structure of meaning is formulated by a given projection"

'question nominalization' is not a logical formulation kind; it is a projecting formulation kind, if that has any significance.

The reference scheme cannot be the bindable target, unless a question nominalization is unique to its occurrence instead of its content. In general, the reference scheme for a question nominalization should be that of the projection, plus any attached bindings.

Replace the Note text with:
For a closed projection, the projection formulates exactly one question.
Otherwise, the projection formulates one question for each possible substitution of a referent for each free variable in the projection. The question normalization may include a set of bindings for the free variables that constrain the possible substitutions.

Replace the Example text with:
In the statement, “An agent must ask each new customer what kind of car the customer wants”,
an atomic formulation based on a fact type ‘agent:person asks customer:person question’ binds to three
variables, one for each role. The variable bound from the ‘question’ role binds to the question nominalization for a projection formulating “'kind of car' such that 'customer' wants 'kind of car'". Because the variable for ‘customer’ is free within the projection, the question nominalization would refer to one such question for each possible 'customer'. So the question nominalization must include a binding that binds 'customer' in the projection to 'customer' in the atomic formulation that includes the question.

A question nominalization should have zero or more bindings instead of one bindable target. It can have one binding for each free variable in the projection.

In 9.1.1.10, 'answer nominalization' has many of the same problems.

It is difficult from the definition to determine the intent. The example suggests that the intent is:
Definition: noun concept that refers to all noun concepts whose structure of meaning is formulated by a given projection (i.e. whose structure of meaning is a noun concept formulation)

It is not a logical formulation kind; it is a projecting formulation kind, if that has any significance.

The reference scheme should be that of the projection, together with any bindings.

Like question nominalization (above), add bindings and modify the Note and Example similarly.

see above