Logics for Databases and Information Systems

by Jan Chomicki (Editor), Gunter Saake (Editor)

Overview

Time is ubiquitous in information systems. Almost every enterprise faces the problem of its data becoming out of date. However, such data is often valuable, so it should be archived and some means to access it should be provided. Also, some data may be inherently historical, e.g., medical, cadastral, or judicial records. Temporal databases provide a uniform and systematic way of dealing with historical data. Many languages have been proposed for temporal databases, among others temporal logic. Temporal logic combines abstract, formal semantics with the amenability to efficient implementation. This chapter shows how temporal logic can be used in temporal database applications. Rather than presenting new results, we report on recent developments and survey the field in a systematic way using a unified formal framework [GHR94; Ch094]. The handbook [GHR94] is a comprehensive reference on mathematical foundations of temporal logic. In this chapter we study how temporal logic is used as a query and integrity constraint language. Consequently, model-theoretic notions, particularly formula satisfaction, are of primary interest. Axiomatic systems and proof methods for temporal logic [GHR94] have found so far relatively few applications in the context of information systems. Moreover, one needs to bear in mind that for the standard linearly-ordered time domains temporal logic is not recursively axiomatizable [GHR94]' so recursive axiomatizations are by necessity incomplete.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461375821
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	10/21/2012
Series:	The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science , #436
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1998
Pages:	430
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

1 Introduction to Logics for Databases and Information Systems.- References.- 2 A Logic Primer.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 First-Order Logic (FOL).- 2.3 Modal Logics.- 2.4 Logic Programming.- 2.5 Conclusion.- References.- 3 Temporal Logic in Information Systems.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Temporal Databases.- 3.3 Temporal Queries.- 3.4 Temporal Integrity Constraints.- 3.5 Multidimensional Time.- 3.6 Beyond First-order Temporal Logic.- 3.7 Conclusions.- References.- 4 The Role of Deontic Logic in the Specification of Information Systems.- 4.1 Introduction: Soft Constraints and Deontic Logic.- 4.2 Standard Deontic Logic (SDL).- 4.3 The Paradoxes of Deontic Logic.- 4.4 A Diagnosis of the Problems.- 4.5 A Solution to the ‘Ought-to-Be’ Version of the Chisholm Paradox: S5O(n).- 4.6 Ought-to-Do: The Dynamic Perspective.- 4.7 An Integrated Logic of Ought-to-Be and Ought-to-Do Constraints.- 4.8 Applications.- References.- 5 A Logic for Programming Database Transactions.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Overview and Introductory Examples.- 5.3 Syntax.- 5.4 Elementary Operations.- 5.5 Model Theory.- 5.6 Proof Theory.- 5.7 Related Work.- References.- 6 Logics for Specifying Concurrent Information Systems.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Overview.- 6.3 Local Logic L.- 6.4 Distributed Logics.- 6.5 Reduction.- 6.6 Extended Example.- 6.7 Related Work.- 6.8 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 7 Evolving Logical Specification in Information Systems.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Motivation and Language.- 7.3 Syntax and Semantics of the Logic.- 7.4 Translation of Language into Logic.- 7.5 Using the Logical Framework.- 7.6 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 8 Description Logics for Conceptual Data Modeling.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Description Logics.- 8.3 Semantic Data Models.- 8.4 Object-Oriented Data Models.- 8.5Support for Data Modeling.- 8.6 Conclusions.- References.- 9 Integrity Constraints: Semantics and Applications.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Background.- 9.3 Semantics of Integrity Constraints.- 9.4 Reasoning with Integrity Constraints.- 9.5 Applications of Integrity Constraints.- 9.6 Conclusion and Future Directions.- References.- 10 Logical Approaches to Incomplete Information: A Survey.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Sources of Indefiniteness.- 10.3 A Semantic Framework for Incomplete Databases.- 10.4 Algebraic Models of Nulls.- 10.5 Logical Databases.- 10.6 Complexity of Queries.- 10.7 Negative Information.- 10.8 Integrity Constraints.- 10.9 Updates of Incomplete Databases.- 10.10 Other Issues.- 10.11 Incomplete Information in Current Technology.- References.- 11 Declarative Frameworks for Inheritance.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Motivation for Inheritance.- 11.3 Main Issues and Problems.- 11.4 Logic-based Approaches to Inheritance.- 11.5 Research Directions.- References.- 12 On Logical Foundations of Active Databases.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Basics of Active Rules.- 12.3 Research on Foundations of Active Rules.- 12.4 A Deductive State-Oriented Core Language.- 12.5 A Framework for Active Rules.- 12.6 Conclusion.- References.

Editorial Reviews

A supplementary textbook for an advanced graduate database course and a reference for database researchers. Demonstrates the various applications of logic in databases and information systems through a series of fairly broad case studies, each addressing a specific aspect either of databases or information systems or a specific logical formalism. Among them are temporal logic, deontic logic for specification, programming database transactions, incomplete information, and declarative frameworks for inheritance. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews