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Abstract : |
We investigate a query language for complex-object databases, which is designed to (1) express only tractable queries, and (2) be as expressive over flat relations as first order logic with fixpoints. The language is obtained by extending the nested relational algebra NRA, of [9], with a "bounded fixpoint " operator. Extending the flat case [15, 21] , all PTime computable queries over ordered databases are expressible in this language. The main result consists in proving that this language is a conservative extension of the first order logic with fixpoints, or of the while-queries (depending on the interpretation of the bounded fixpoint: inflationary or partial). The proof technique uses indexes, to encode complex objects into flat relations, and is strong enough to allow for the encoding of NRA with unbounded fixpoints into flat relations. We also define a complex object logic based language with fixpoints and prove that its range restricted fragment is equivalent to NRA with bounded fixpoints., |
