Abstract:
Chronus is a query system that supports temporal extensions to the Structured Query
Language (SQL) for relational databases. Although the relational data model can store
time-stamped data and can permit simple temporal-comparison operations, it does not
provide either a closed or a sufficient algebra for manipulating temporal data. In
this paper, we outline an algebra that maintains a consistent relational representation
of temporal data and that allows the type of temporal queries needed for protocol-directed
decision support. We also discuss how Chronus can translate between our temporal algebra
and the relational algebra used for SQL queries. We have applied our system to the
task of screening patients for clinical trials. Our results demonstrate that Chronus
can express sufficiently all required temporal queries, and that the search time of
such queries is similar to that of standard SQL.
Keywords
Database Query Methods - Database Management Systems - Temporal Data - Protocol-Directed
Care - Expert Systems