Re: Do Data Models Need to built on a Mathematical Concept?

"Neo" <neo55592_at_hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4b45d3ad.0305030905.2e8c66f5_at_posting.google.com...
> But consider that each dot may represent
> different kinds/types of things (persons, airplanes, colors, jobs,
> chairs, etc). IMO, the rdb data model is not well suited for this type
> of problem.

Okay, so you're proposing that there's a need to store completely unrelated things in a graph.

Can you give me an example of what this would be used for?

I am familiar with examples in which different types of things are connected by different types of relationships. And I'm familiar with examples in which a single thing has some relation with others things of the same type. The relation model handles both of these.

I'm not familiar with an example application that would need to store *untyped* relations between typed things. In your example, what does it mean to have edges like this:

person -> airplane -> color -> job -> chair

What is the predicate?

Marshall Received on Sat May 03 2003 - 21:03:46 CEST