Modularizing Contexted Constraints

Abstract

This paper describes a method for compiling a constraint-based grammar into a potentially more efficient form for processing. This method takes dependent disjunctions within a constraint formula and factors them into non-interacting groups whenever possible by determining their independence. When a group of dependent disjunctions is split into smaller groups, an exponential amount of redundant information is reduced. At runtime, this means that an exponential amount of processing can be saved as well. Since the performance of an algorithm for processing constraints with dependent disjunctions is highly determined by its input, the transformation presented in this paper should prove beneficial for all such algorithms.