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Documents authored by Alves, Ana

Document
DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2021.7
MUAHAH: Taking the Most out of Simple Conversational Agents

Authors: Leonor Llansol, João Santos, Luís Duarte, José Santos, Mariana Gaspar, Ana Alves, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, and Luísa Coheur

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 94, 10th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2021)

Abstract
Dialog engines based on multi-agent architectures usually select a single agent, deemed to be the most suitable for a given scenario or for responding to a specific request, and disregard the answers from all of the other available agents. In this work, we present a multi-agent plug-and-play architecture that: (i) enables the integration of different agents; (ii) includes a decision maker module, responsible for selecting a suitable answer out of the responses of different agents. As usual, a single agent can be chosen to provide the final answer, but the latter can also be obtained from the responses of several agents, according to a voting scheme. We also describe three case studies in which we test several agents and decision making strategies; and show how new agents and a new decision strategy can be easily plugged in and take advantage of this platform in different ways. Experimentation also confirms that considering several agents contributes to better responses.
Cite as

Leonor Llansol, João Santos, Luís Duarte, José Santos, Mariana Gaspar, Ana Alves, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, and Luísa Coheur. MUAHAH: Taking the Most out of Simple Conversational Agents. In 10th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2021). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 94, pp. 7:1-7:12, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2021)

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@InProceedings{llansol_et_al:OASIcs.SLATE.2021.7,
  author =	{Llansol, Leonor and Santos, Jo\~{a}o and Duarte, Lu{\'\i}s and Santos, Jos\'{e} and Gaspar, Mariana and Alves, Ana and Gon\c{c}alo Oliveira, Hugo and Coheur, Lu{\'\i}sa},
  title =	{{MUAHAH: Taking the Most out of Simple Conversational Agents}},
  booktitle =	{10th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2021)},
  pages =	{7:1--7:12},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-202-0},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2021},
  volume =	{94},
  editor =	{Queir\'{o}s, Ricardo and Pinto, M\'{a}rio and Sim\~{o}es, Alberto and Portela, Filipe and Pereira, Maria Jo\~{a}o},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2021.7},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-144248},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2021.7},
  annote =	{Keywords: Dialog systems, question answering, information retrieval, multi-agent}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2020.9
Exploring Different Methods for Solving Analogies with Portuguese Word Embeddings

Authors: Tiago Sousa, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, and Ana Alves

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 83, 9th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2020)

Abstract
A common way of assessing static word embeddings is to use them for solving analogies of the kind "what is to king as man is to woman?". For this purpose, the vector offset method (king - man + woman = queen), also known as 3CosAdd, has been effectively used for solving analogies and assessing different models of word embeddings in different languages. However, some researchers pointed out that this method is not the most effective for this purpose. Following this, we tested alternative analogy solving methods (3CosMul, 3CosAvg, LRCos) in Portuguese word embeddings and confirmed the previous statement. Specifically, those methods are used to answer the Portuguese version of the Google Analogy Test, dubbed LX-4WAnalogies, which covers syntactic and semantic analogies of different kinds. We discuss the accuracy of different methods applied to different models of embeddings and take some conclusions. Indeed, all methods outperform 3CosAdd, and the best performance is consistently achieved with LRCos, in GloVe.
Cite as

Tiago Sousa, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, and Ana Alves. Exploring Different Methods for Solving Analogies with Portuguese Word Embeddings. In 9th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2020). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 83, pp. 9:1-9:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{sousa_et_al:OASIcs.SLATE.2020.9,
  author =	{Sousa, Tiago and Gon\c{c}alo Oliveira, Hugo and Alves, Ana},
  title =	{{Exploring Different Methods for Solving Analogies with Portuguese Word Embeddings}},
  booktitle =	{9th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2020)},
  pages =	{9:1--9:14},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-165-8},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{83},
  editor =	{Sim\~{o}es, Alberto and Henriques, Pedro Rangel and Queir\'{o}s, Ricardo},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2020.9},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-130229},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2020.9},
  annote =	{Keywords: analogies, word embeddings, semantic relations, syntactic relations, Portuguese}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2020.2
Challenges and Solutions from an Embedded Programming Bootcamp

Authors: J. Pedro Amaro, Jorge Barreiros, Fernanda Coutinho, João Durães, Frederico Santos, Ana Alves, Marco Silva, and João Cunha

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 81, First International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2020)

Abstract
Due to the proliferation of IT companies developing web and mobile applications, computer programmers are in such high demand that universities can’t satisfy it with newly graduated students. In response, some organisations started to create coding bootcamps, providing intensive full-time courses focused on unemployed people or individuals seeking for a career change. There is, however, a different set of skills that is becoming increasingly required, but is not addressed by those courses: embedded programming. In fact, the Internet of Things is connecting every device to the internet, thus making knowledge on hardware and C/C++ programming very relevant skills. A group of computer science and electrical engineering university teachers, in collaboration with several industry stakeholders, have promoted an embedded systems programming course in C and C++. This course is based on an intensive project-based approach comprising 6 months of daylong classes followed by 9 months of paid internships. After two editions, thirty embedded programmers, with no relevant previous programming experience, have been placed with the partners’ working force. In this paper, the course organisation and pedagogical methodologies are described. Problems, challenges and adopted solutions are presented and analysed. We conclude that in spite of the intense rhythm and demanding nature of the subject matter, it is possible to find the structure and solutions that keep students engaged and motivated throughout the course, allowing them to gain the required competences and successfully transition into a new career path.
Cite as

J. Pedro Amaro, Jorge Barreiros, Fernanda Coutinho, João Durães, Frederico Santos, Ana Alves, Marco Silva, and João Cunha. Challenges and Solutions from an Embedded Programming Bootcamp. In First International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2020). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 81, pp. 2:1-2:11, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{amaro_et_al:OASIcs.ICPEC.2020.2,
  author =	{Amaro, J. Pedro and Barreiros, Jorge and Coutinho, Fernanda and Dur\~{a}es, Jo\~{a}o and Santos, Frederico and Alves, Ana and Silva, Marco and Cunha, Jo\~{a}o},
  title =	{{Challenges and Solutions from an Embedded Programming Bootcamp}},
  booktitle =	{First International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2020)},
  pages =	{2:1--2:11},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-153-5},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{81},
  editor =	{Queir\'{o}s, Ricardo and Portela, Filipe and Pinto, M\'{a}rio and Sim\~{o}es, Alberto},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2020.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-122896},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2020.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: Coding Bootcamp, Embedded Programming, Career Change}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2019.2
Using Lucene for Developing a Question-Answering Agent in Portuguese

Authors: Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, Ricardo Filipe, Ricardo Rodrigues, and Ana Alves

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 74, 8th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2019)

Abstract
Given the limitations of available platforms for creating conversational agents, and that a question-answering agent suffices in many scenarios, we take advantage of the Information Retrieval library Lucene for developing such an agent for Portuguese. The solution described answers natural language questions based on an indexed list of FAQs. Its adaptation to different domains is a matter of changing the underlying list. Different configurations of this solution, mostly on the language analysis level, resulted in different search strategies, which were tested for answering questions about the economic activity in Portugal. In addition to comparing the different search strategies, we concluded that, towards better answers, it is fruitful to combine the results of different strategies with a voting method.
Cite as

Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, Ricardo Filipe, Ricardo Rodrigues, and Ana Alves. Using Lucene for Developing a Question-Answering Agent in Portuguese. In 8th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2019). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 74, pp. 2:1-2:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{goncalooliveira_et_al:OASIcs.SLATE.2019.2,
  author =	{Gon\c{c}alo Oliveira, Hugo and Filipe, Ricardo and Rodrigues, Ricardo and Alves, Ana},
  title =	{{Using Lucene for Developing a Question-Answering Agent in Portuguese}},
  booktitle =	{8th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2019)},
  pages =	{2:1--2:14},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-114-6},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{74},
  editor =	{Rodrigues, Ricardo and Janou\v{s}ek, Jan and Ferreira, Lu{\'\i}s and Coheur, Lu{\'\i}sa and Batista, Fernando and Gon\c{c}alo Oliveira, Hugo},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2019.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-108692},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2019.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: information retrieval, question answering, natural language interface, natural language processing, natural language understanding}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2018.12
ASAPP 2.0: Advancing the state-of-the-art of semantic textual similarity for Portuguese

Authors: Ana Alves, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, Ricardo Rodrigues, and Rui Encarnação

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 62, 7th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2018)

Abstract
Semantic Textual Similarity (STS) aims at computing the proximity of meaning transmitted by two sentences. In 2016, the ASSIN shared task targeted STS in Portuguese and released training and test collections. This paper describes the development of ASAPP, a system that participated in ASSIN, but has been improved since then, and now achieves the best results in this task. ASAPP learns a STS function from a broad range of lexical, syntactic, semantic and distributional features. This paper describes the features used in the current version of ASAPP, and how they are exploited in a regression algorithm to achieve the best published results for ASSIN to date, in both European and Brazilian Portuguese.
Cite as

Ana Alves, Hugo Gonçalo Oliveira, Ricardo Rodrigues, and Rui Encarnação. ASAPP 2.0: Advancing the state-of-the-art of semantic textual similarity for Portuguese. In 7th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2018). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 62, pp. 12:1-12:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{alves_et_al:OASIcs.SLATE.2018.12,
  author =	{Alves, Ana and Gon\c{c}alo Oliveira, Hugo and Rodrigues, Ricardo and Encarna\c{c}\~{a}o, Rui},
  title =	{{ASAPP 2.0: Advancing the state-of-the-art of semantic textual similarity for Portuguese}},
  booktitle =	{7th Symposium on Languages, Applications and Technologies (SLATE 2018)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:17},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-072-9},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{62},
  editor =	{Henriques, Pedro Rangel and Leal, Jos\'{e} Paulo and Leit\~{a}o, Ant\'{o}nio Menezes and Guinovart, Xavier G\'{o}mez},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2018.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-92709},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SLATE.2018.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: natural language processing, semantic textual similarity, semantic relations, word embeddings, character n-grams, supervised machine learning}
}
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