Re: Relation Schemata vs. Relation Variables
From: paul c <toledobythesea_at_oohay.ac>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:59:48 GMT
Message-ID: <8YrHg.452473$Mn5.358194_at_pd7tw3no>
>
> There must be a subtlety here that eludes me. If a candidate key, k, of
> a relation has a value of 1 in some tuple and a tuple in that relation
> has a value of {k 1, x 2} then I would say that the value k = 1
> certainly identifies that tuple.
>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:59:48 GMT
Message-ID: <8YrHg.452473$Mn5.358194_at_pd7tw3no>
paul c wrote:
> Bob Badour wrote:
>> paul c wrote: >> >>> Bob Badour wrote: >>> >>>> paul c wrote: >>>> >>>>> paul c wrote: >>>>> ... >>>>> >>>>>> PMFJI, I would say that the VALUE of a candidate key identifies >>>>>> one and only one tuple FOREVER! >>>>> >>>>> Stupid me, I have to take part of that back - the value of a >>>>> candidate key obviously could identify several tuples but I still >>>>> think that would hold forever. Might have been better to say the >>>>> value of a candidate key identifies a tuple regardless of time. >>>> >>>> A candidate key does not identify a tuple. A candidate key is a >>>> constraint on a relvar and not on a tuple. >>> >>> No argument about a candidate key being a constraint. I`m talking >>> about the value of a candidate key. If you can infer the values of >>> the other attributes from that value, I`d say you have achieved >>> identification. >> >> And one cannot infer anything from a subset of the attributes when one >> is talking about a tuple. The only thing that identifies a tuple is >> the tuple's value. Just as the only thing that identifies the number 5 >> is the number 5.
>
> There must be a subtlety here that eludes me. If a candidate key, k, of
> a relation has a value of 1 in some tuple and a tuple in that relation
> has a value of {k 1, x 2} then I would say that the value k = 1
> certainly identifies that tuple.
>
Okay, maybe now I'm seeing the subtlety, if you are talking about the tuple after it's been identified, ie., a tuple in the context of a relation. If I've got that right, I could have been more clear that I was talking about identifying a tuple within a relation. Your emphasis on language precision, which some people might call pedantry, hurts my head, but I suppose it's necessary and I really shouldn't complain if the theorists are to find any common ground with the hackers (or if the hackers are to get their act together).
p Received on Fri Aug 25 2006 - 02:59:48 CEST