Fuzzy Constraint-Based Schema Matching Formulation

Abstract

The deep Web has many challenges to be solved. Among them is schema
matching. In this paper, we build a conceptual connection between the
schema matching problem SMP and the fuzzy constraint optimization
problem FCOP. In particular, we propose the use of the fuzzy constraint
optimization problem as a framework to model and formalize the schema
matching problem. By formalizing the SMP as a FCOP, we gain many
benefits. First, we could express it as a combinatorial optimization
problem with a set of soft constraints which are able to cope with
uncertainty in schema matching. Second, the actual algorithm solution
becomes independent of the concrete graph model, allowing us to change
the model without affecting the algorithm by introducing a new level of
abstraction. Moreover, we could discover complex matches easily.
Finally, we could make a trade-off between schema matching
performance aspects.