Issue Number 7

Analysis Problem: Solution -- By Dr. John K. Sharp

Analysis Results (only tables and keys are needed):

Three tables exists: ADE, ABC, and BE.

Keys exist over AE and ED in table ADE; AB in table ABC; and E in table BE.

In ADE column A is dependent on columns D and E and column D is dependent on columns A and E. Column C is dependent on columns A and B. Column B is dependent only on column E.

Here is the real world example that this problem was developed from:

Part P21 was purchased by Mfg. Inc. for a unit price of $1.95 on line 1 of Purchase Order 56332.

The rules are:

A part purchased by company has a price. (This allows the vendor to set different prices for different companies.)
A purchase order is for a company.
Line number of purchase order purchases part.
Line number of purchase order identifies a line on a purchase order. Part number on purchase order identifies a line on a purchase order.

Note: This example problem cannot lead to the identification of the "part" or "company" objects. In order to identify these objects, they must appear in a different sentence with at least one associated dependency or as the major object of the sentence. ("A person worked on a project in a program." was the major object in this example problem.)

Dr. John Sharp is the founder and principal consultant for Sharp Informatics.Before starting Sharp Informatics in 1997 he was employed by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM for 18 years. While at Sandia he held staff and management positions in all areas of information technology, including analysis, design, implementation, maintenance, information architecture, data administration, and information technology research. He has worked closely with Prof. Shir Nijssen of The Netherlands to improve the NIAM analysis methodology. Dr. Sharp is the creator of the first information analysis procedure known to be mathematically precise.This procedure reformulates the usual (imprecise and inaccurate) statements and examples from a subject area into verified fact types. The output of this productivity enhancing process (a set of information requirements) is compatible with all the latest and most productive database application creation tools. John is the editor of the international standard for conceptual schemas. He has co-chaired two international conferences on natural language modeling and he has presented numerous papers and seminars at professional conferences.

Contact information:

Dr. John Sharp
Sharp Informatics
1604 Vassar SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
sharp@sharp-informatics.com
505-243-1498
fax 505-248-0345
http://www.sharp-informatics.com