Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Foundations of entity-relationship modeling

  • Published:
Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Database design methodologies should facilitate database modeling, effectively support database processing, and transform a conceptual schema of the database to a high-performance database schema in the model of the corresponding DBMS. The Entity-Relationship Model is extended to theHigher-orderEntity-RelationshipModel (HERM) which can be used as a high-level, simple and comprehensive database design model for the complete database information on the structure, operations, static and dynamic semantics. The model has the expressive power of semantic models and possesses the simplicity of the entity-relationship model. The paper shows that the model has a well-founded semantics. Several semantical constraints are considered for this model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S. Al-Fedaghi and B. Thalheim, Fundamentals of the database theory: The key concept, Inf. Syst. (1992).

  2. P. Atzeni and D.S. Parker, Set containment inference, in:Proc. ICDT'86, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 243(1986), pp. 73–90.

    Google Scholar 

  3. F. Bancilhon, P. Richard and M. Scholl, On-line processing of compacted relations, in:Proc. 8th VLDB Conf. (1982), pp. 263–269.

  4. A.P. Buchmann, R.S. Carrera and M.A. Vazquez-Galindo, A generalized constraint and exception handler for an object-oriented CAD-DBMS, in:IEEE Conf. on Database Systems (1986), pp. 38–49.

  5. P. Buneman, S. Davidson and A. Kosky, Theoretical aspects of schema merging, in:Proc. EDBT92, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 580(1992), pp. 152–167.

    Google Scholar 

  6. C. Beeri and M. Kifer, An integrated approach to logical design of relatinal database schemes, ACM TODS 11(1986)159–185.

    Google Scholar 

  7. C. Beeri and Y. Kornatzky, Algebraic optimization of object-oriented query languages, in:Proc. ICDT'90, ed. S. Abiteboul and P.C. Kanellakis, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 470(1990), pp. 72–88.

  8. P. Bachmann, W. Oberschelp, B. Thalheim and G. Vossen, The design of RAD: Towards an interactive toolbox for database design, RWTH Aachen, Fachgruppe Informatik, Aachener Informatik-Berichte 90-28 (1990).

  9. M.A. Casanova, R. Fagin and C.H. Papadimitriou, Inclusion dependencies and their interaction with functional dependencies, J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 28(1984)29–59.

    Google Scholar 

  10. E.F. Codd,The Relational Model for Database Management, Version 2 (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  11. S.S. Cosmodakis and P.C. Kanellakis, Functional and inclusion dependencies — A graph theoretic approach, Technical Report CS-83-21, Department of Computer Science, Brown University (1983).

  12. J. Demetrovics and G.O.H. Katona, Combinatorial problems of database models, in:Colloquia Mathematica Societatis Janos Bolyai 42, Algebra, Combinatorics and Logic in Computer Science, Györ (Hungary) (1983), pp. 331–352.

  13. J. Demetrovics, L.O. Libkin and I.B. Muchnik, Functional dependencies and the semilattice of closed classes, in:Proc. MFDBS-89, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 364(1989), pp. 136–147.

    Google Scholar 

  14. R. Elmasri and S.H. Navathe,Fundamentals of Database Systems (Benjamin/Cummings, Redwood City, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  15. S. Ferg, Cardinality concepts in entity-relationship modeling, in:Proc. 10th ER Conf., ed. T. Teorey (1991), pp. 1–30.

  16. A. Formica, M. Missikoff and S. Vazzana, An object-oriented data model for artificial intelligence applications, in: Lecture Notes in Computer Science 504(1991), pp. 26–41.

    Google Scholar 

  17. A.L. Furtado and E.J. Neuhold,Formal Techniques for Database Design (Springer, Heidelberg, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  18. M. Gyssens, J. Paredaens and D. Van Gucht, A uniform approach towards handling atomic and structural information in the nested relational database model, Report No. UIA 88-17, University of Antwerp (1988).

  19. J. Grant and J. Minker, Inferences for numerical dependencies, Theor. Comput. Sci. 41(1985) 271–287.

    Google Scholar 

  20. J.-L. Hainaut, Entity-relationship models: Formal specification and comparison, in:Proc. 9th ER Conf., ed. H. Kangassalo (1990), pp. 53–64.

  21. G. Hulin, On restructing nested relations in partitioned normal form, in:Proc. VLDB (1990), pp. 626–637.

  22. T. Imielinski and W. Lipski, Jr., A systematic approach to relational database theory, ICS PAS Reports 457, Warsaw (1982).

  23. S. Jajodia and P.A. Ng, On representation of relational structures by entity-relational diagrams, in:Entity-Relationship Approach to Software Engineering, ed. C.G. Davis, S. Jajodia, P.A. Ng and R.T. Yeh (North-Holland, 1983), pp. 249–263.

  24. P.C. Kanellakis, S.S. Cosmodakis and M.Y. Vardi, Unary inclusion dependencies have polynomial time inference problems, Technical Report CS-83-09, Department of Computer Science, Brown University (1983).

  25. I. Kobayashi, An overview of database management technology, in:Advances in Information System Science, Vol. 9, ed. J.T. Tou (Plenum, New York, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  26. U.W. Lipeck,Dynamic Integrity of Databases, Informatik-Fachberichte 209 (Springer, 1989).

  27. M. Lenzerini and P. Nobili, On the satisfiability of dependency constraints in entity-relationship schemata, Inf. Syst. 15(1990)453–461.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Y.E. Lien, On the semantics of the entity-relationship model, in:Entity-Relationship Approach to System Analysis and Design, ed. P.P. Chen (1980), pp. 155–167.

  29. R. Manthey, Satisfiability of integrity constraints: Reflections on a neglected problem, in:Proc. 2nd Workshop on Foundations of Models and Languages, ed. J. Göers and A. Heuer, Informatik-Bericht 90/3, Computer Science Department, University of Clausthal-Zellersfeld (1990), pp. 169–180.

  30. M.A. Melkanoff and C. Zanilo, Decomposition of relations and synthesis of entity-relationship diagrams, in:Entity-Relationship Approach to System Analysis and Design, ed. P.P. Chen (1980), pp. 277–294.

  31. J.C. Mitchell, The implication problem for functional and inclusion dependencies, Inf. Control 56(1983)154–173.

    Google Scholar 

  32. G.M. Nijssen, D.J. Duke and S.M. Twine, The entity-relationship data model considered to be harmful, Preprint, Department of Computer Science, University of Queensland (1988).

  33. G.M. Nijssen and T.A. Halpin,Conceptual Schema and Relational Database Design — A Fact-Oriented Approach (Prentice-Hall, Sydney, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  34. J. Paredaens, P. De Bra, M. Gyssens and D. Van Gucht,The Structure of the Relational Database Model (Springer, Berlin, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  35. N. Rishe,Database Design Fundamentals (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  36. A. Rochfeld, J. Morejon and P. Negros, Inter-relationship links in ER models, in:Proc. 9th Entity-Relationship Conf., ed. J. Kangassalo (1989), pp. 143–156.

  37. K.-D. Schewe, J.W. Schmidt, B. Thalheim and I. Wetzel, Integrity enforcement in object-oriented databases, in:Workshop on Modelling Database Dynamics, Volkse (1992).

  38. R. Spencer, T. Teorey and E. Hevia, ER standards proposal, in:Proc. 9th ER Conf., ed. H. Kangassalo (1990), pp. 405–412.

  39. K.-D. Schewe, B. Thalheim, I. Wetzel and J.W. Schmidt, Extensible safe object-oriented design of database applications (1991), submitted for publication.

  40. J.T. Teorey,Database Modeling and Design: The Entity-Relationship Approach (Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  41. B. Thalheim, Logical relational database design tools using different classes of dependencies, J. New Gener. Comput. Syst. 1(1988)211–228.

    Google Scholar 

  42. B. Thalheim, A systematic approach to database theory, in:INFO-88, GDR (1988), pp. 158–160 (in German).

  43. B. Thalheim, The higher-order entity-relationship model and (DB)2, in: Lecture Notes in Computer Science 364 (Springer, 1989), pp. 382–397.

  44. B. Thalheim, On semantic issues connected with keys in relational databases permitting null values, J. Inf. Proc. Cybem. EIK 25(1989)11–20.

    Google Scholar 

  45. B. Thalheim,Dependencies in Relational Databases (Teubner, Leipzig, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  46. B. Thalheim, Theoretical fundamentals of the higher-order entity-relationship model, Kuwait (1990), prepared for publication.

  47. B. Thalheim, Concepts of the database design, in:Trends in Database Management Systems, ed. G. Vossen and K.-U. Witt, Oldenburg, München, pp. 1–48 (in German).

  48. B. Thalheim, The database design system (DB)2, in:Research and Practical Issues in Databases, ed. B. Srinivasan and J. Zekeznikov (World Scientific, Singapore, 1992), pp. 279–292.

    Google Scholar 

  49. A. Thayse (ed.),From Model Logic to Deductive Databases (Wiley, Vol. 1: 1989, Vol. 2: 1990).

  50. D. Tsichritzis and F. Lochovsky,Data Models (Prentice-Hall, 1982).

  51. T.J. Teorey, G. Wei, D.L. Bolton and J.A. Koenig, ER model clustering as an aid for user communication and documentation in database design, Commun. ACM 32(1989)975–987.

    Google Scholar 

  52. J.D. Ullman,Principles of Database and Knowledge-Base Systems (Computer Science Press, 1989).

  53. V. Vianu, Dynamic functional dependencies and database aging, J. ACM 34(1987)28–59.

    Google Scholar 

  54. G. Vossen,Datenmodelle, Datenbanksprachen und Datenbank-Management-Systeme (Addison-Wesley, Bonn, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  55. G.E. Weddell, A theory of functional dependencies for object-oriented models, in:OODB Conf., Kyoto (1989), pp. 150–169.

  56. M. Yaseen and B. Thalheim,Practical Database Design Methodologies (Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, 1989).

  57. K. Yokota, Deductive approach for nested relations, in:Programming of Future Generation Computers II, ed. K. Fuchi and L. Kott (1988), pp. 461–481.

  58. J. Zhu, R. Nassif, P. Goyal, P. Drew and B. Askelid, Incorporating a model hierarchy into the ER paradigm, in:Proc. 9th ER Conf., ed. H. Kangassalo (1990), pp. 68–80.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Department, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 21, D-O-2500, Rostock, Germany

    Bernhard Thalheim

Authors
  1. Bernhard Thalheim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thalheim, B. Foundations of entity-relationship modeling. Ann Math Artif Intell 7, 197–256 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01556354

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01556354

Keywords

Search

Navigation