Improving Semantic Specification in a Relational Database.

@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/sigmod/Sciore79,
  author    = {Edward Sciore},
  editor    = {Philip A. Bernstein},
  title     = {Improving Semantic Specification in a Relational Database},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 1979 ACM SIGMOD International Conference on
               Management of Data, Boston, Massachusetts, May 30 - June 1},
  publisher = {ACM},
  year      = {1979},
  isbn      = {0-89791-001-X},
  pages     = {170-178},
  ee        = {http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/582095.582124, db/conf/sigmod/Sciore79.html},
  crossref  = {DBLP:conf/sigmod/79},
  bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
}

Abstract

Standard semantics for the relational model considers domain values to be objects, which assume the roles indicated by the name of its associated attribute. Entities are related to each other to form tuples in a relation; attributes are also interrelated, but in this case the exact relationships have always been left implied or "intuitive." This paper introduces renaming rules, which are a way to formally specify these relationships. Properties of these rules are discussed, and a complete axiomatization is presented.

Renaming rules allow meaningful equi-joins to be couched in terms of natural joins. They are intimately associated with the abstraction concept of generalization, and provide a natural semantics and theory for the relational algebraic operatiors select and union. These operators in turn use Smith's sub- category functional dependencies to achieve a better decomposition of a database scheme; to this end, a general normal form algorithm is presented.

Copyright © 1979 by the ACM, Inc., used by permission. Permission to make digital or hard copies is granted provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or direct commercial advantage, and that copies show this notice on the first page or initial screen of a display along with the full citation.

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References

[BD]

Charles W. Bachman, Manilal Daya: The Role Concept in Data Models. VLDB 1977: 464-476 BibTeX

[BE]

Philip A. Bernstein: Synthesizing Third Normal Form Relations from Functional Dependencies. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 1(4): 277-298(1976) BibTeX

[BR]

...

[CA]

Jean-Marc Cadiou: On Semantic Issues in the Relational Model of Data. MFCS 1976: 23-38 BibTeX

[LG]

R. M. Lee, Rob Gerritsen: Extended Semantics for Generalization Hierarchies. SIGMOD Conference 1978: 18-25 BibTeX

[SS]

John Miles Smith, Diane C. P. Smith: Database Abstractions: Aggregation and Generalization. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 2(2): 105-133(1977) BibTeX

[SM]

John Miles Smith: A Normal Form for Abstract Syntax. VLDB 1978: 156-162 BibTeX

[WM]

...

Referenced by

1. Jeffrey D. Ullman: Principles of Database and Knowledge-Base Systems, Volume II. Computer Science Press 1989, ISBN 0-7167-8162-X
   Contents
2. James Clifford, Abdullah Uz Tansel: On An Algebra For Historical Relational Databases: Two Views. SIGMOD Conference 1985: 247-265
3. David Maier, David Rozenshtein, Jacob Stein: Representing Roles in Universal Scheme Interfaces. ICDE 1984: 133-142
4. Marc H. Graham: Functions in Databases. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 8(1): 81-109(1983)
5. Robert Brown, Douglas Stott Parker Jr.: LAURA: A Formal Data Model and her Logical Design Methodology. VLDB 1983: 206-218
6. David Maier, David Rozenshtein, David Scott Warren: Windows on the World. SIGMOD Conference 1983: 68-78
7. David Maier: The Theory of Relational Databases. Computer Science Press 1983, ISBN 0-914894-42-0
   Contents
8. Catriel Beeri, Henry F. Korth: Compatible Attributes in a Universal Relation. PODS 1982: 55-62