Extending the database relational model to capture more meaning

ABSTRACT

During the last three or four years several investigators have been exploring “semantic models” for formatted databases. The intent is to capture (in a more or less formal way) more of the meaning of the data so that database design can become more systematic and the database system itself can behave more intelligently. Two major thrusts are clear. (1) the search for meaningful units that are as small as possible—atomic semantics; (2) the search for meaningful units that are larger than the usual n-ary relation—molecular semantics. In this paper we propose extensions to the relational model to support certain atomic and molecular semantics. These extensions represent a synthesis of many ideas from the published work in semantic modeling plus the introduction of new rules for insertion, update, and deletion, as well as new algebraic operators.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.4 Systems
          Subjects: Relational databases

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.1 Logical Design
          Subjects: Data models; Schema and subschema

General Terms:
Design

Keywords:
conceptual model, conceptual schema, data model, data semantics, database, database schema, entity model, knowledge base, knowledge representation, relatinal database, relation, relational model, relational schema, semantic model