Toward an Optimal Design of a Network Database from Relational Descriptions

This paper suggests a method for building up a network database starting from relational descriptions. The network generated is optimal in terms of data item appearances and, given that, it is also optimal in terms of the number of records. Moreover, it preserves third normality, in case we start with third-normal relations. We develop a model for implementing the network that guarantees the minimality of the sum of storage and access costs. We show that the model can be solved efficiently.