Database Metatheory: Asking the Big Queries
đź“ś Abstract
This paper addresses the synthesis of recent and older results in at least three areas of database metatheory, asking the big questions and describing the shape of the answers. First, the emphasis on languages with enough ex- pressive power to ask any query is a language-theoretic manifestation of Godel’s incompleteness theorems. Next is the "one size does not fit all" design principle in database systems, viewed as extensions to the relational model. Finally, it discusses the information integration problem, focusing on creating a single view of data distributed across different sources.
✨ Summary
The paper titled “Database Metatheory: Asking the Big Queries” by Val Tannen, published in 2011, explores the synthesis of results in several areas of database metatheory. It emphasizes the limitations and expressive power of query languages, drawing parallels to Gödel’s incompleteness theorems. Additionally, it highlights the “one size does not fit all” principle in database design, advocating for extensions to the relational model. Finally, the paper discusses the problem of information integration, focusing on creating unified views of distributed data sources.
In terms of influence, there does not appear to be significant direct citation or impact of this particular paper within subsequent literature or industry applications that are easily identifiable through a cursory web search. The key ideas, however, resonate with ongoing discussions and research in database theory and information integration, which continue to be pertinent topics in both academia and the data industry.