Associative techniques in the solution of data management problems

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the development of data management systems from an associative point of view. The design utilizes relational set theory applied to information systems. The basic notion involves the mathematical transformation of hierarchical structures of n-ary relations into associative normal form (ANF). This transformation preserves the information content while at the same time allowing the information to be manipulated by an associative memory in a more efficient manner than is possible on a random access memory. Among the advantages that can be realized from this system are the capability of handling many and varied data structures; substantially fewer pointers and directories; a reduction in storage space requirements; and a substantial decrease in query and update time.