Elsevier

Data & Knowledge Engineering

Volume 2, Issue 4, December 1987, Pages 323-338
Data & Knowledge Engineering

On interpreting and inferring propositional formulas of data dependencies in a relational database

https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-023X(87)90025-5Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper concerns generally the satisfaction and the inference problem involving functional and/or multivalued dependencies in a relational database. In particular, two independent aids in solving an inference problem, concerning the logical counterparts of functional as well as multivalued dependencies, are introduced. The first aid is provided by establishing a pair of complementary inequivalence and equivalence theorems between the propositional formula corresponding to the difference, U-X, in set theory and the propositional formula not(X) where U is a relation scheme and X is a subset of U. By applying these theorems, correctness of solving an inference problem is assured. The second aid is the application of a Venn diagram for simplifying a propositional formula involving conjunctions, differences, etc., for solving an inference problem. A guideline for constructing simplified Venn diagrams is also given and discussed.

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