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 Set-Theoretic description of Analysis Services?

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MarkKnutson
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2007-05-01 : 11:50:10
I was reading Melomed, et al, on Analysis Services and their explanation of the conceptual framework of the databases has some set-theoretic wordage, but it seems like a lot of it was re-worded for mass-audience.

Thing is, I am more used to understanding these things based on sets of sets, tuples, and all those wonderful set-theoretic things, and some of the imprecise, user-friendly, language has confused me on some points.

I am wondering if there are discussions of these matters which is more mathematically rigorous--I get the impression that the designers of the product think in these terms and then try to translate to more accessible prose. If such discussions are available somewhere, I would be interested in readin them.

But on very specific point, I can ask this: My reading of the definitions leads me to conclude that a Dimension is a set of objects (sets of attributes) of interest in analysis. Problem is, I see the Attribute as being the same thing, and having trouble distinguishing the two without more precise explanation.

If anyone can shed some light on this for me, I thank you in advance.


PS. I am doing some more reading and there is some discussion that the Attribute is the set of all possible values a dimension member can take, so it is essentially a domain. Again, interested in confirmation or clarification on this.
   

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