Date and time: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Monday 27th March, 2006
Venue: 10.08.04
Chair: Dr Ron van Schyndel
Abstract:
This session is meant as a wake-up call. The foundation of the database field is, of course, the relational model. Sad to say, however, there are some in the database community, certainly in industry, and to some extent in academia also who don't seem to be as familiar with that model as they ought to be; there are others who seem to think it isn't very interesting or relevant to the day-to-day business of earning a living; and there are still others who seem to think all of the foundation-level problems have been solved. Indeed, there seems to be a widespread feeling that “the world has moved on,” so to speak, and the relational model as such is somehow passé. Nothing could be further from the truth!
In this session, Chris will sketch the results of some of his own investigations into database foundations over the past twenty years or so; his aim is to convey some of the excitement and abiding interest that is still to be found in those investigations, with a view to inspiring others in the field to become involved in such activities.
This event is co-sponsored by RMITCS and the IEEE (Victorian Section). Organisers: Dr Xiaodong Li (RMITCS) and Dr Ron van Schyndel (current chair of the Computer Science Chapter of the IEEE Victorian section).
About the speaker:
Chris J. Date is an independent author, lecturer, researcher, and consultant, specialising in relational database technology. He is best known for his book An Introduction to Database Systems (eighth edition, Addison-Wesley, 2004), which has sold some 725,000 copies and is used by several hundred colleges and universities worldwide. He is also the author of many other books on database management, including most recently:
Ø From Morgan Kaufmann: Temporal Data and the Relational Model (coauthored with Hugh Darwen and Nikos A. Lorentzos, 2003)
Ø From O'Reilly: Database in Depth: Relational Theory for Practitioners (2005)
Ø From Addison-Wesley: Databases, Types, and the Relational Model: The Third Manifesto (co-authored with Hugh Darwen, to appear 2006)
Ø Another book, Go Faster! The TransRelationaltm Approach to DBMS Implementation, is also due for publication in the near future.
Mr. Date enjoys a reputation that is second to none for his ability to communicate complex technical subjects in a clear and understandable fashion.
Seminar Organisation
Seminars are free and open to the general public. No booking is necessary. If you are interested in giving a presentation in this seminar series, or to make suggestions for speakers, please contact Xiaodong Li, the seminar co-ordinator.