13,330 research outputs found
Towards Intelligent Databases
This article is a presentation of the objectives and techniques
of deductive databases. The deductive approach to databases aims at extending
with intensional definitions other database paradigms that describe
applications extensionaUy. We first show how constructive specifications can
be expressed with deduction rules, and how normative conditions can be defined
using integrity constraints. We outline the principles of bottom-up and
top-down query answering procedures and present the techniques used for
integrity checking. We then argue that it is often desirable to manage with
a database system not only database applications, but also specifications of
system components. We present such meta-level specifications and discuss
their advantages over conventional approaches
A Review of integrity constraint maintenance and view updating techniques
Two interrelated problems may arise when updating a database. On one
hand, when an update is applied to the database, integrity constraints
may become violated. In such case, the integrity constraint maintenance
approach tries to obtain additional updates to keep integrity
constraints satisfied. On the other hand, when updates of derived or
view facts are requested, a view updating mechanism must be applied to
translate the update request into correct updates of the underlying base
facts.
This survey reviews the research performed on integrity constraint
maintenance and view updating. It is proposed a general framework to
classify and to compare methods that tackle integrity constraint
maintenance and/or view updating. Then, we analyze some of these methods
in more detail to identify their actual contribution and the main
limitations they may present.Postprint (published version
A Rational and Efficient Algorithm for View Revision in Databases
The dynamics of belief and knowledge is one of the major components of any
autonomous system that should be able to incorporate new pieces of information.
In this paper, we argue that to apply rationality result of belief dynamics
theory to various practical problems, it should be generalized in two respects:
first of all, it should allow a certain part of belief to be declared as
immutable; and second, the belief state need not be deductively closed. Such a
generalization of belief dynamics, referred to as base dynamics, is presented,
along with the concept of a generalized revision algorithm for Horn knowledge
bases. We show that Horn knowledge base dynamics has interesting connection
with kernel change and abduction. Finally, we also show that both variants are
rational in the sense that they satisfy certain rationality postulates stemming
from philosophical works on belief dynamics
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