Sketching a graph to query a time-series database

ABSTRACT

Sequential data is easily understood through a simple line graph, yet systems to search such data typically rely on complex interfaces or query languages. This paper presents QuerySketch, a financial database application in which graphs are used for query input as well as output. QuerySketch allows users to sketch a graph freehand, then view stocks whose price histories match the sketch. Using the same graphical format for both input and output results in an interface that is powerful, flexible, yet easy to use.

REFERENCES

• 1: Rakesh Agrawal , Giuseppe Psaila , Edward L. Wimmers , Mohamed Zaït, Querying Shapes of Histories, Proceedings of the 21th International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, p.502-514, September 11-15, 1995
• 2: Christopher Ahlberg , Christopher Williamson , Ben Shneiderman, Dynamic queries for information exploration: an implementation and evaluation, Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, p.619-626, May 03-07, 1992, Monterey, California, United States [doi>10.1145/142750.143054]
• 3: Catarci, T., Costabile, M. F., Levialdi, S. and Batini, C., Visual Query Systems for Databases: A Survey, Technical Report SI/RR-95/17, Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione, Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza", 1995
• 4: Christos Faloutsos , M. Ranganathan , Yannis Manolopoulos, Fast subsequence matching in time-series databases, Proceedings of the 1994 ACM SIGMOD international conference on Management of data, p.419-429, May 24-27, 1994, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
• 5: Eamonn J. Keogh , Michael J. Pazzani, A Simple Dimensionality Reduction Technique for Fast Similarity Search in Large Time Series Databases, Proceedings of the 4th Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, Current Issues and New Applications, p.122-133, April 18-20, 2000
• 6: Xia, B. Similarity Search in Time Series Data Sets. Master thesis, Simon Fraser University, 1997.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.4 Systems
          Subjects: Query processing

Additional Classification:
  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.2 DISCRETE MATHEMATICS
      G.2.2 Graph Theory
          Subjects: Graph algorithms
  G.3 PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
      Subjects: Time series analysis

  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.8 Database applications
          Subjects: Statistical databases

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
database, dynamic queries, freehand sketch, stock market, time series, user interface, visual query