Temporal Data & the Relational Model

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Temporal database systems offer specialized support for storing, querying, and updating historical and future data. Current database management systems (DBMSs) lack temporal features, but this is expected to change as the importance of temporal databases grows in both commercial and academic settings. This book presents a comprehensive exploration of the foundational principles that will underpin future temporal DBMSs, firmly based on the relational model of data, representing an evolutionary rather than revolutionary advancement. The book is structured into three parts: The first part provides a detailed review of the relational model and an overview of the Tutorial D language. The second part addresses basic temporal data problems, introducing essential constructs and operators to tackle these issues. The third part applies the concepts from the previous sections to aspects of temporal database design, including temporal constraints, queries, and updates. Additionally, the book includes annotated references, a bibliography, and implementation considerations. It emphasizes a relational approach to temporal data, covering implementation and model issues, recent research on database design techniques, new normal forms, relational operators, update operators, and granularity support. Each chapter features review questions and exercises, making the book suitable for both reference and tutorial use.