Actions with Duration and Constraints: the Ramification Problem in Temporal Databases

The ramification problem is a hard and ever present problem in systems exhibiting a dynamic behavior. The area of temporal databases in particular is still lacking satisfactory solutions to the ramification problem. In this paper, we address the ramification problem based on causal relationships that take time into account. We study the problem for both instantaneous actions and actions with duration. The proposed solution advances previous work by considering actions with effects occurring in any of the possible future situations resulting from an action’s execution.