Incomplete information costs and database design

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for trading-off the cost of incomplete information against the data-related costs in the design of database systems. It investigates how the usage patterns of the database, defined by the characteristics of information requests presented to it, affect its conceptual design. The construction of minimum-cost answers to information requests for a variety of query types and cost structures is also studied. The resulting costs of incomplete database information are balanced against the data-related costs in the derivation of the optimal design.