On the generic information capacity of relational schemas with a single binary relation
This work addresses schema design for graph databases, providing foundational insights for database researchers, but it is incremental as it builds on classical notions of information capacity.
The paper tackled the problem of characterizing when one database schema with a single binary relation generically dominates another, based on key constraints and inclusion dependencies, and found a complete characterization over 20 schemas, with extensions to ternary cases and object identifiers.
We consider database schemas consisting of a single binary relation, with key constraints and inclusion dependencies. Over this space of 20 schemas, we completely characterize when one schema is generically dominated by another schema. Generic dominance, a classical notion for measuring information capacity, expresses that every instance of a schema can be uniquely represented in the dominating schema, through application of a deterministic, generic data transformation. Our investigation is motivated both by current interest in schema design for graph databases, as well as by intrinsic scientific interest. We also consider the ternary case, but without inclusion dependencies, and discuss how the notions change in the presence of object identifiers.