Re: Nearest Common Ancestor Report (XDb1's $1000 Challenge)

From: Neo <neo55592_at_hotmail.com>
Date: 10 Jun 2004 09:44:56 -0700
Message-ID: <4b45d3ad.0406100844.aba3db1@posting.google.com>

> Neo isa deadbeat

Please show Neo is a "deadbeat" by posting the report for the following data which is one of "any hierarchy", using either RM Sol#1 or #2 "from normalized and NULL-less data":

God is the parent of an unnamed person. God is also the parent of second person with three names (string 'john', integer 100, decimal 3.14).

The first person represents a thing that doesn't have a particular attribute and the second person represents a thing that has an attribute with three values, each of different type. Below is the equivalent XDb1 script:

string isa thing.
integer isa thing.
decimal isa thing.

john isa name.
john isa string.

100 isa name.
100 isa integer.

3.14 isa name.
3.14 isa decimal.

god isa thing.

person isa thing.

* isa person.        (an unnamed person)
* parent god.        

* isa person.        (another unnamed person)
*'s name is john.    (assign first name)
*'s name is 100.     (assign second name)

*'s name is 3.14. (assign third name) *'s parent god.

Below is XDb1's report for the above hierarchy:

Common 'parent' Report for 'god'

ThingX   ThingY          CmnAnc  Dist
person   john 100 3.14   god        2

Time Elapsed: 0.906550 msec

Please show Neo is a "deadbeat" by storing the equivalent of the following XDb1 script in RM Sol#1 or #2 without redundant data.

color isa thing.
brown isa color.

person isa thing.
john isa person.
john's color is brown.
mary isa person.
mary's color is brown.

Although brown appears three times in the script, XDb1 normalizes the second two by making them references to the first one. There is only one brown in XDb1's db. Using RM#1 or #2, brown is stored three separate times.

Thus far RM Sol#1 and #2 fail to meet the challenge because, they contain redundant schema (schema is data) to store the class hierarchy which cannot be accessed by the provided report procedure, and stores redundant data (ie "brown"). Deficiencies in the genericness of the solutions can be shown by the inability to handle things without an attribute (ie name) and things with multiple attributes each of different type, etc.

Below are measurements made thus far using RM solutions that aren't as generic or normalized as XDb1's.

Small Report Generation Summary (provided by Hugo)

Solution Time(ms) Platform Notes

-------------- --------  ----------------- --------------------------
RM#1 SqlSrvr2K  14.3     1.3 Ghz PC        Unnormalized, non-generic
RM#2 SqlSrvr2K  11.0     1.3 Ghz PC        Unnormalized, non-generic
XDb1 4.4.7      16       1.3 Ghz PC        Debug ver, norm and gener

Small Report Generation Summary (provided by Neo)

Solution Time(ms) Platform Notes

-------------  --------  ----------------- --------------------------
RM#1 SqlSrvr7   65.0     500 Mhz Server    Unnormalized, non-generic
RM#2 SqlSrvr7   68.9     500 Mhz Server    Unnormalized, non-generic
XDb1 4.5.7       1.632   500 Mhz Server    Normalized, generic
XDb1 4.5.9       6.561   233 MHz PocketPC  Normalized, generic

Large Report (28,940 rows) Generation Summary (provided by Neo) 200 Goat Hierarchy (5 generations x 40 goats/generation, each goat having two parents, except 1st gen).

Solution Time(sec) Platform Notes

-------------  --------  ----------------- --------------------------
RM#5 SqlSrvr7   40.5     500 Mhz Server    Unnormalized, non-generic
XDb1 4.5.7       2.9     500 Mhz Server    Normalized, generic
XDb1 4.5.9      16.971   233 Mhz PocketPC  Normalized, generic

Larger Report (276,620 rows) Generation Summary (provided by Neo). 400 Goat Hierarchy (10 gen x 40 goats/gen),

Solution Time(ms) Platform Notes

-------------  --------  ----------------- --------------------------
RM#5 SqlSrvr7  105 min   500 Mhz Srvr, NT  Avg of 2 runs, UnNrm,UnGen
XDb1 4.5.10     44 min   500 Mhz Srvr, NT  Avg of 2 runs, Norm, gener
XDb1 4.5.10     57 min   450 Mhz PC, 98    1 run, Normalized, generic

XDb1 4.5.10 195 min 233 Mhz PocketPC 1 run, Normalized, generic

Note: SQL Server scripts are available from website. Received on Thu Jun 10 2004 - 11:44:56 CDT