Integrity constraints: Semantics and applications

Integrity constraints axe introduced in a logical framework. Examples are given to illustrate the expressiveness of integrity constraints. Various definitions for the semantics of integrity constraints are defined and compared. Additional types of constraints are also mentioned. Techniques of reasoning with integrity constraints, including model elimination and the residue method, are explained. Applications of integrity constraints considered in detail, including semantic query optimization, cooperative answering, combining databases, and view updates. Additional applications to order optimization, query folding, object-oriented databases, and database security are sketched. The conclusion lists areas of integrity constraints that need to be investigated.