Matching Dependencies with Arbitrary Attribute Values: Semantics, Query Answering and Integrity Constraints

Matching dependencies (MDs) are used to declaratively specify the identification (or matching) of certain attribute values in pairs of database tuples when some similarity conditions are satisfied. Their enforcement can be seen as a natural generalization of entity resolution. In what we call the pure case of MDs, any value from the underlying data domain can be used for the value in common that does the matching. We investigate the semantics and properties of data cleaning through the enforcement of matching dependencies for the pure case. We characterize the intended clean instances and also the clean answers to queries as those that are invariant under the cleaning process. The complexity of computing clean instances and clean answers to queries is investigated. Tractable and intractable cases depending on the MDs are characterized.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: CORR
• Authors: Jaffer Gardezi, Leopoldo E. Bertossi, Iluju Kiringa
• Keywords: Clean Answers, Clean Instances, CORR 2010, Education, Pure Case