456 research outputs found
Computing only minimal answers in disjunctive deductive databases
A method is presented for computing minimal answers in disjunctive deductive
databases under the disjunctive stable model semantics. Such answers are
constructed by repeatedly extending partial answers. Our method is complete (in
that every minimal answer can be computed) and does not admit redundancy (in
the sense that every partial answer generated can be extended to a minimal
answer), whence no non-minimal answer is generated. For stratified databases,
the method does not (necessarily) require the computation of models of the
database in their entirety. Compilation is proposed as a tool by which problems
relating to computational efficiency and the non-existence of disjunctive
stable models can be overcome. The extension of our method to other semantics
is also considered.Comment: 48 page
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
Query Evaluation in Deductive Databases
It is desirable to answer queries posed to deductive databases by computing fixpoints because such computations are directly amenable to set-oriented fact processing. However, the classical fixpoint procedures based on bottom-up processing — the naive and semi-naive methods — are rather primitive and often inefficient. In this article, we rely on bottom-up meta-interpretation for formalizing a new fixpoint procedure that performs a different kind of reasoning: We specify a top-down query answering method, which we call the Backward Fixpoint Procedure. Then, we reconsider query evaluation methods for recursive databases. First, we show that the methods based on rewriting on the one hand, and the methods based on resolution on the other hand, implement the Backward Fixpoint Procedure. Second, we interpret the rewritings of the Alexander and Magic Set methods as specializations of the Backward Fixpoint Procedure. Finally, we argue that such a rewriting is also needed in a database context for implementing efficiently the resolution-based methods. Thus, the methods based on rewriting and the methods based on resolution implement the same top-down evaluation of the original database rules by means of auxiliary rules processed bottom-up
A New Rational Algorithm for View Updating in Relational 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 order to apply the rationality result of belief dynamics theory to various
practical problems, it should be generalized in two respects: first 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 in this paper, along with
the concept of a generalized revision algorithm for knowledge bases (Horn or
Horn logic with stratified negation). We show that knowledge base dynamics has
an interesting connection with kernel change via hitting set and abduction. In
this paper, we show how techniques from disjunctive logic programming can be
used for efficient (deductive) database updates. The key idea is to transform
the given database together with the update request into a disjunctive
(datalog) logic program and apply disjunctive techniques (such as minimal model
reasoning) to solve the original update problem. The approach extends and
integrates standard techniques for efficient query answering and integrity
checking. The generation of a hitting set is carried out through a hyper
tableaux calculus and magic set that is focused on the goal of minimality.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1301.515
Studies related to the process of program development
The submitted work consists of a collection of publications arising from research carried out at Rhodes University (1970-1980) and at Heriot-Watt University (1980-1992). The theme of this research is the process of program development, i.e. the process of creating a computer program to solve some particular problem. The papers presented cover a number of different topics which relate to this process, viz. (a) Programming methodology programming. (b) Properties of programming languages. aspects of structured. (c) Formal specification of programming languages. (d) Compiler techniques. (e) Declarative programming languages. (f) Program development aids. (g) Automatic program generation. (h) Databases. (i) Algorithms and applications
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