Discover a functional view of information that unifies data and algorithms to improve database design. This approach helps you see how questions are answered by a blend of stored data and processing logic.
The book argues that viewing a information system as a collection of functions clarifies how data, methods, and derived facts work together. It introduces virtual information as a broad category that sits between pure data and pure algorithms, highlighting how these ideas support data independence and flexible querying.
- Learn how data independence keeps applications insulated from storage details.
- See how pure data, pure algorithms, and virtual information form a spectrum of ways to obtain answers.
- Explore how inferred and computed facts can reduce redundancy and improve consistency.
- Understand how access paths and materialization tradeoffs affect performance and storage.
Ideal for readers of database design, information systems, and data-management theory who want a practical framework for combining data with algorithms.