In this paper, we represent singular definite noun phrases as functions in logical form. This representation is designed to model the behaviors of both anaphoric and non-anaphoric, distributive definites. It is also designed to obey the computational constraints suggested in Harper [Har88]. Our initial representation of a definite places an upper bound on its behavior given its structure and location in a sentence. Later, when ambiguity is resolved, the precise behavior of the definite is pinpointed.
Mary P. Harper