Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Executing Complexity-Increasing Queries in Relational MySQL and NoSQL MongoDB and EXist Size-Growing ISO/EN 13606 Standardized EHR Databases

Executing Complexity-Increasing Queries in Relational MySQL and NoSQL MongoDB and EXist Size-Growing ISO/EN 13606 Standardized EHR Databases

Published on: March 19, 2018

A Formalization of SQL with Nulls.

Wilmer Ricciotti¹, James Cheney¹

¹Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, University of Edinburgh, 10 Crichton St, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB UK.

Journal of Automated Reasoning

|November 10, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

Constraints and Statical Determinacy

Constraints and Statical Determinacy

In structural engineering, the equilibrium of a system is not only determined by its equations of equilibrium but also with the help of constraints. Constraints refer to restrictions on the motion of a system. The proper combinations of constraints can minimize the total number of constraints needed to maintain a system in mechanical equilibrium. When this happens, the system is said to be statically determinate. For such systems, the unknown reaction supports can be estimated using equilibrium...

Null and Alternative Hypotheses

Null and Alternative Hypotheses

The actual hypothesis testing begins by considering two hypotheses. They are termed the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis. These hypotheses contain opposing viewpoints.
The null hypothesis, denoted by H0 is a statement of no difference between the variables—they are not related. This can often be considered the status quo. As a result if you cannot accept the null, it requires some action.
The alternative hypothesis, denoted by H1 or Ha, is a claim about the...

Scalar Notation

Scalar Notation

Scalar notation is a useful method for simplifying calculations involving vectors. When vectors are added or subtracted, their components can be added or subtracted separately using scalar notation. For instance, force, a vector quantity, can be broken down into its x and y components, called rectangular components, and then the magnitude and direction of these components can be determined using trigonometric functions.
Consider a man pulling a rope from a hook in the northeast direction. The...

Schemas

Schemas

A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.

Formal Charges

Formal Charges

In some cases, there are seemingly more than one valid Lewis structures for molecules and polyatomic ions. The concept of formal charges can be used to help predict the most appropriate Lewis structure when more than one reasonable structure exists.

Functional Groups

Functional Groups

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same journal

Combining Higher-Order Logic with Set Theory Formalizations.

Journal of automated reasoning·2023

Same journal

Synthesising Programs with Non-trivial Constants.

Journal of automated reasoning·2023

Same journal

Unifying Splitting.

Journal of automated reasoning·2023

Same journal

First-Order Theory of Rewriting for Linear Variable-Separated Rewrite Systems: Automation, Formalization, Certification.

Journal of automated reasoning·2023

Same journal

A Comprehensive Framework for Saturation Theorem Proving.

Journal of automated reasoning·2022

Same journal

A Formalization of the Smith Normal Form in Higher-Order Logic.

Journal of automated reasoning·2022

See all related articles

This study mechanizes the formal semantics of SQL, including complex features like null values and nested subqueries, using the Coq proof assistant. This work validates SQL semantics for robust database implementation and query equivalence checking.

Area of Science:

Computer Science
Formal Methods
Database Systems

Background:

SQL is the dominant declarative language, but its standard relies on ambiguous natural language, leading to implementation variations.
Existing formal semantics for SQL often omit crucial features like null values, set/bag operations, and lateral joins.
The lack of a formal semantics hinders the validation of database implementation soundness and query equivalence.

Purpose of the Study:

To mechanize a formal semantics for SQL that encompasses set/bag operations, lateral joins, nested subqueries, and null values.
To validate key metatheoretic properties of the formalized SQL semantics.
To formalize a flat relational calculus with null values and demonstrate its translation into SQL.

Main Methods:

Keywords:

Coq Formalization Nulls SQL Semantics

More Related Videos

Databases to Efficiently Manage Medium Sized, Low Velocity, Multidimensional Data in Tissue Engineering

Databases to Efficiently Manage Medium Sized, Low Velocity, Multidimensional Data in Tissue Engineering

Published on: November 22, 2019

Author Spotlight: Enhanced Isolation of Interaction-Null Mutants in Yeast

Author Spotlight: Enhanced Isolation of Interaction-Null Mutants in Yeast

Published on: December 29, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Executing Complexity-Increasing Queries in Relational MySQL and NoSQL MongoDB and EXist Size-Growing ISO/EN 13606 Standardized EHR Databases

Executing Complexity-Increasing Queries in Relational MySQL and NoSQL MongoDB and EXist Size-Growing ISO/EN 13606 Standardized EHR Databases

Published on: March 19, 2018

Databases to Efficiently Manage Medium Sized, Low Velocity, Multidimensional Data in Tissue Engineering

Databases to Efficiently Manage Medium Sized, Low Velocity, Multidimensional Data in Tissue Engineering

Published on: November 22, 2019

Author Spotlight: Enhanced Isolation of Interaction-Null Mutants in Yeast

Author Spotlight: Enhanced Isolation of Interaction-Null Mutants in Yeast

Published on: December 29, 2023

Utilized the Coq proof assistant for mechanizing the formal semantics of SQL.

Developed a formal semantics supporting advanced SQL features including null values.

Formalized a relational calculus and proved a certified translation to SQL.

Main Results:

Successfully mechanized a comprehensive formal semantics for SQL in Coq.
Validated critical metatheoretic properties of the formalized semantics.
Established a certified translation from a relational calculus with null values to SQL.

Conclusions:

The mechanization provides a foundation for validating SQL implementations and understanding query behavior with null values.
This work addresses a long-standing challenge in formalizing the full SQL standard.
The framework enables formal reasoning about database queries and translations.