Complexity and Approximation of Fixing Numerical Attributes in Databases Under Integrity Constraints

Consistent query answering is the problem of computing the answers from a database that are consistent with respect to certain integrity constraints that the database as a whole may fail to satisfy. Those answers are characterized as those that are invariant under minimal forms of restoring the consistency of the database. In this context, we study the problem of repairing databases by fixing integer numerical values at the attribute level with respect to denial and aggregate constraints. We introduce a quantitative definition of database fix, and investigate the complexity of several problems such as DFP, i.e. the existence of fixes within a given distance from the original instance, and CQA, i.e. deciding consistency of answers to aggregate conjunctive queries under different semantics. We provide sharp complexity bounds, identify relevant tractable cases; and introduce approximation algorithms for some of those that are intractable. More specifically, we obtain results like un...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: DBPL
• Authors: Leopoldo E. Bertossi, Loreto Bravo, Enrico Franconi, Andrei Lopatenko
• Keywords: Aggregate Constraints, Certain Integrity Constraints, Database, DBPL 2005