Dissertation: Utilization of adjacency model in graph analysis
Teemu Mäenpää's thesis in information technology "Utilization of adjacency model in graph analysis" examines ways to process complex data structures to make them operable for relational databases.
Data without fixed schema was widely studied topic in late 90s and in early 2000s. The introduction of concepts such as web 2.0 and big data foregrounded complex and loosely structured data as a research theme.
A data representation method called adjacency model was selected as a primary case for Mäenpää’s study.
– Key concept of the model is adjacency relation system, which is mathematical representation of adjacency between elements belonging to certain sets, says Mäenpää.
He explains that adjacency relation system can be visualized as a graph.
– The goal of this study was to develop framework for graph analysis.
Early applications for the concept of adjacency focused on the boundary structures. According to Mäenpää the adjacency model aimed to generalize the concept of adjacency.
– Studies have shown that adjacency model and relational model have conceptual similarities. Based on the similarities a method for modeling relational databases with adjacency model was developed, says Mäenpää.
Similarities between adjacency model and relational model
Mäenpää’s work aimed to broaden the utilization areas of the adjacency model. It focused primarily on the possibilities that are tied to the similarities and analogies between adjacency model and relational model.
His study utilized the graph theory in the analysis of the similarities between adjacency model and relational model.
– Databases were modeled with adjacency model and represented as adjacency relation system based graphs. The graphs were analyzed and typical properties for the database elements in the adjacency model were defined, Mäenpää says.
Mäenpää’s study provided properties for database elements in adjacency model and a method for converting adjacency model into database was given. Also, the usage of multi-objective optimization in manipulation of graphs was discussed in his thesis.
Public Defence
The public examination of M.Sc. Teemu Mäenpää’s doctoral dissertation ”Utilization of adjacency model in graph analysis”” will be held on Friday, 25 September at 12 o’clock at Auditorium Nissi (Tritonia). Professor Ismo Hakala (Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius) will act as an opponent and professor (emerita) Merja Wanne as a custos. The examination will be held in Finnish.
Further information: Teemu Mäenpää, t. +358 29 449 8301, e-mail: firstname.lastname@uwasa.fi
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