Anytime Algorithms for Speech Parsing?

This paper discusses to which extent the concept of ``anytime algorithms'' can be applied to parsing algorithms with feature unification. We first try to give a more precise definition of what an anytime algorithm is. We arque that parsing algorithms have to be classified as contract algorithms as opposed to (truly) interruptible algorithms. With the restriction that the transaction being active at the time an interrupt is issued has to be completed before the interrupt can be executed, it is possible to provide a parser with limited anytime behavior, which is in fact being realized in our research prototype.