next up previous contents index
Next: 7.3 Existential entailment I Up: 7 Relations Previous: 7.1 Order of arguments   Contents   Index

7.2 Number of arguments

Consistency issues also arise when the NUMBER of arguments of a verb changes. The number of arguments of a logical predicate should always be the same. The number of arguments of a predicate is called its arity. The arity of a predicate should never change.

Wrong
John ate the apple.
EAT(j,the apple)
John ate.
EAT(j)
Right
John ate the apple.
EAT(j,the apple)
John ate.
$ \exists x$ EAT(j, x)
Why
 EAT(j, the apple)         
 EAT is 2-place relation         



Jean Mark Gawron 2009-02-16