Incomplete data and data dependencies in relational databases (Q2902052)

This 29th volume of the series Synthesis Lectures on Data Management is a printed version of a work that appears in the Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science. These texts provide concise presentations of important research, published quickly. The scope largely follows the topics presented at the most important computer science conferences. The 29th volume is devoted to the chase algorithm that has long been used to solve various problems in database theory. Recently the chase is newly studied as an important tool in several database applications. In them the chase termination and the dealing with data dependencies and incomplete data become important issues.NEWLINENEWLINE In the first chapters the necessary material concerning relational databases, incomplete databases and the chase algorithm is presented. Then recent results on the conditions guaranteeing the chase termination are reported. In the final chapters of the volume the different database applications where the chase is a central tool are discussed, especially universal repairs of inconsistent databases, computing consistent answers over inconsistent databases, query containment under constraints, query optimization, data echange and data integration. The bibliography contains more than 150 references. The volume provides an excellent survey of the field including the recent results.