A multi-set extended relational algebra: a formal approach to a practical issue

The relational data model is based on sets of tuples, i.e. it does not allow duplicate tuples an a relation. Many database languages and systems do require multi-set semantics though, either because of functional requirements or because of the high costs of duplicate removal in database operations. Several proposals have been presented that discuss multi-set semantics. As these proposals tend to be either rather practical, lacking the formal background, or rather formal, lacking the connection to database practice, the gap between theory and practice has not been spanned yet. This paper proposes a complete extended relational algebra with multi-set semantics, having a clear formal background and a close connection to the standard relational algebra. It includes constructs that extend the algebra to a complete sequential database manipulation language that can either be used as a formal background to other multi-set languages like SQL, or as a database manipulation language on its own. The practical usability of the latter option has been demonstrated in the PRISMA/DB database project, where a variant of the language has been used as the primary database languag

A Database Interface for Complex Objects

We describe a formal design for a logical query language using psi-terms as data structures to interact effectively and efficiently with a relational database. The structure of psi-terms provides an adequate representation for so-called complex objects. They generalize conventional terms used in logic programming: they are typed attributed structures, ordered thanks to a subtype ordering. Unification of psi-terms is an effective means for integrating multiple inheritance and partial information into a deduction process. We define a compact database representation for psi-terms, representing part of the subtyping relation in the database as well. We describe a retrieval algorithm based on an abstract interpretation of the psi-term unification process and prove its formal correctness. This algorithm is efficient in that it incrementally retrieves only additional facts that are actually needed by a query, and never retrieves the same fact twice

Exchange-Rate-Based Stabilization: A Critical Look at the Stylized Facts

To address this question, this paper identifies stabilization episodes using criteria that differ from those in previous empirical studies of exchange-rate-based stabilizations. We find that, while some differences can be detected between exchange-rate-based stabilizations and stabilizations where the exchange rate is not the anchor, the behavior of important variables does not appear to differ - especially output growth, which is good in both cases. There is also no evidence that fiscal discipline is enhanced by adopting an exchange rate anchor, or that there are any systematic differences in the success records of stabilizations that use the exchange rate as a nominal anchor and those that do not. Copyright 2001, International Monetary Fund

Trajectory Representation in Location-Based Services: Problems and Solution

Recently, much work has been done in feasibility studies on services offered to moving objects in an environment equipped with mobile telephony, network technology and GIS. However, despite of all work on GIS and databases, the situations in which the whereabouts of objects are constantly monitored and stored for future analysis are an important class of problems that present-day database/GIS has difficulty to handle. Considering the fact that data about whereabouts of moving objects are acquired in a discrete way, providing the data when no observation is available is a must. Therefore, obtaining a "faithful representation" of trajectories with a sufficient number of discrete (though possibly erroneous) data points is the objective of this research

The Cherenkov Telescope Array: Science Goals and Current Status

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the major ground-based gamma-ray observatory planned for the next decade and beyond. Consisting of two large atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays (one in the southern hemisphere and one in the northern hemisphere), CTA will have superior angular resolution, a much wider energy range, and approximately an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity, as compared to existing instruments. The CTA science programme will be rich and diverse, covering cosmic particle acceleration, the astrophysics of extreme environments, and physics frontiers beyond the Standard Model. This paper outlines the science goals for CTA and covers the current status of the project.Comment: 7 page, 5 figures, Proceedings of RICAP 201

Crash-Free Sequencing Strategies for Financial Development and Liberalization

This paper uses a stylized model of financial intermediation to characterize the exact circumstances along various paths of economic growth, financial development, and liberalization that can trigger a financial crisis. It shows how to avoid financial crises through proper sequencing of various financial development and liberalization measures. The results of the paper show that naive combinations of financial development and liberalization processes can give rise to financial crises. In some typical situations, in order to avoid a financial crisis, it is important that financial liberalization be accompanied by financial development, in the form of improvements in the financial sectorís efficiencies. In the case of fast growing economies, financial development becomes even more imperative. Copyright 2001, International Monetary Fund

Functionally Specified Distributed Transactions in Co-operative Scenarios

Addresses the problem of specifying co-operative, distributed transactions in a manner that can be subject to verification and testing. Our approach combines the process-algebraic language LOTOS and the object-oriented database modelling language TM to obtain a clear and formal protocol for distributed database transactions meant to describe co-operation scenarios. We argue that a separation of concerns, namely the interaction of database applications on the one hand and data modelling on the other, results in a practical, modular approach that is formally well-founded. An advantage of this is that we may vary over transaction models to support the language combinatio