On the sentence valuation in a semiring

This paper proposes an algebraic way of sentence valuations in a semiring. Actually, throughout the paper only valuations in the ring of integers with usual addition and multiplication are considered. These valuations take into consideration both words and their positions within the sentences. Two synonymy relations, with respect to a given valuation, are introduced. All sentences that are synonymous form a synonymy class which is actually a formal language. Some basic problems regarding the synonymy classes are formulated in the general setting but the results presented concern only very special valuations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.