Mathematics & Meaning

My October column @AllAnalytics.

We have seen that the usefulness of the relational data model (RDM) is in its dual theoretical foundation -- first order predicate logic (FOPL) and set theory -- the mathematics guarantees provable logical correctness of query results regardless what meaning is assigned to the database R-tables. But a logically correct result is not necessarily a meaningful result. As a reader commented "If a is Salary and b is Start date, the [Cartesian] product a*b still doesn't have a sensible meaning." It is critical for the analyst to understand the distinction.

Read it all. (Please comment there, not here)