31. The method of claim 15 in which said step for applying a recursive reduction procedure includes the step of applying an off-by-one reduction procedure which comprises the steps of: determining whether the rule R of said acquired grammar element is an OR rule; providing an add rules list; providing a remove rules list; when said rule R is determined to be an OR rule, then acquiring each subrule B thereof which is an AND rule and acquiring each other subrule C thereof, comparing each acquired subrule B with each acquired subrule C and determining from said comparison whether they differ by one subrule M of subrule B; identifying said differing one base component when said acquired subrule B and said acquired subrule C differ by one base component; generating a new rule formed of acquired subrule B with said differing one subrule M having a zero-based repetition symbol; adding said new rule to said add rules list; adding said acquired said rule B and said acquired subrule C to said remove rules list; when all said subrules B have been compared with all said subrules C, removing said subrules of said remove rules list and adding said rules of said add rules list as subrules of said rule R; then emptying said remove rules list and said add rules list; and repeating the above steps until said step for adding said new rule to said add rules list does not occur.
33. The method of claim 31 in which said step of comparing each acquired subrule B with each acquired subrule C includes the steps of: determining whether subrule M of subrule B subsumes subrule H of subrule C; when said subrule M does subsume said subrule H, then the repetition symbol of subrule M is saved as SM, said symbol of subrule M is set to the subordinate combination repetition symbol of the repetition symbols of subrule B and subrule M, the repetition symbols of subrule B and subrule M, the repetition symbols of subrule H are saved as SH, and said symbols of subrule H are set to the subordinate combination repetition symbol of the repetition symbols of subrules C and H; then, determining whether subrule M subsumes subrule H, subsequently restoring the respective saved repetition symbols SM and SH; and then carrying out said step of generating a new rule.