Distance-based repairs of databases

We introduce a general framework for repairing inconsistent databases by distance-based considerations. The uniform way of representing repairs and their semantics clarifies the essence behind various approaches to consistency restoration in database systems, helps to compare the underlying formalisms, and relates them to existing methods of defining belief revision operators, merging data sets, and integrating information systems.status: publishe

Distance-Based Repairs of Databases

Abstract. We introduce a general framework for repairing inconsistent databases by distance-based considerations. The uniform way of representing repairs and their semantics clarifies the essence behind various approaches to consistency restoration in database systems, helps to compare the underlying formalisms, and relates them to existing methods of defining belief revision operators, merging data sets, and integrating information systems. 1 Introduction and Motivation Inconsistency of constraint data-sources is a widespread phenomenon. Restoringinformation consistency (or repairing the database) is usually closely related to the principle of minimal change, which is the aspiration to reach consistencyby a minimal amount of modifications in the `spoiled ' data. To illustrate this, consider the following simple example: Example 1. Consider a database with two data facts D = {p, r}, and an integrityconstraint IC = p! q. Under the closed world assumption [33], stating thateach atomic formula that does not appear in D is false, this database is clearl

Distance-Based Repairs of Databases

Abstract. We introduce a general framework for repairing inconsistent databases by distance-based considerations. The uniform way of representing repairs and their semantics clarifies the essence behind various approaches to consistency restoration in database systems, helps to compare the underlying formalisms, and relates them to existing methods of defining belief revision operators, merging data sets, and integrating information systems.