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Abstract:

In this short abstract we introduce a novel data model for multidimensional informa-tion, GMD, generalising the MD data model first proposed in [Cabibbo and Torlone, 1998]. The aim of this work is not to propose yet another data model, but to find the most general formalism encompassing all the proposals for a logical data model in the data warehouse field, as for example summarised in [Vassiliadis and Sellis, 1999]. Our proposal is compatible with all these proposals, making therefore possible a formal com-parison of the different expressivities of the models in the literature. In this first proposal we concentrate only on the logical model, disregarding a possible algebra built on top of the basic types; this will be the necessary next step of our research. Still, we believe that the GMD data model is already very useful in its current form, since it provides a very precise and, we believe, very elegant and uniform way to model multidimensional infor-mation. For example, interestingly enough, GMD reduces as expected to the standard relational model for dimensionless information; and obviously the star and the snowflake schemas (together with their variants) can be encoded as GMD schemas. It turns out that most of the proposals in the literature make many hidden assumptions which may

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