Visualizing Complexity - Essay Example

Data Base Models The evolution of database models is as a result of the complexity of management needs of organizations. The need for improvement in the performance of database management system to enhance reliability and integrity has strategically redesigned database and changed the significance of their underlining models (Lima 84). This document attempts to uncover the similarities and differences of such models as the network model and hierarchical model. The hierarchical model and network model are majorly differentiated in terms of data manipulation, data integrity, and data structure.

Data Structure The hierarchical model stores data in a database that looks like a family tree with a single root and numerous branches or subdivisions. The record types are organised in the form of a rooted tree. However, in network model, multiple branches emanate from a single or more nodes (Lima 86). It can be likened to several trees sharing branches.Data Manipulation Consequently, the hierarchical model can be said to support one-one relationships and one-to-many relations in contrast to the network data model that supports many to many relationships.

The hierarchical model supports a data structure whereby there is a parent-child relationship in contrast to the network model whereby a record can have many parents as well as many children. Whereas the network model uses CODASYL the hierarchical model is not a provider of any independent, stand-alone query interface. The commonality among the models, the hierarchical model and network database model is that in both of them retrieve algorithms are complex and systematic (Lima 109).Data Integrity The hierarchical data model has an insertion a normally whereby one cannot retrieve information on a child who has no parent in contrast to the network model that has no anomalies.

In addition, the network model is free from update anomalies as a result of a single occurrence in each set. The hierarchical data model, however, has multiple occurrences of child records, which causes inconsistency problems during the update operations. In hierarchical model, data integrity is based on parent-child relationship and the deletion of parent results. In the deletion of child records, the network model is free from all the deletion anomalies because information is stored in a different table, which further enhances its efficiency.

Descriptionality As the name suggests, ‘hierarchical’ meaning restrictive only to child-parent relationship, meaning even though a parent entity can have several child entity, a child can have only one parent.Network Database Model In the network database model, a child entity can have many parents and can be visualised as several inverted trees interconnected by branches contrary to the single inverted trees characterised by branches in the hierarchical model. Folksonomy refers to a classification system derived from the methodology and practise of collaboratively, creating, and translating tags to categorize and annotate content.

It is also referred to social tagging, social classification or collaborative tagging. The popularity of foxonomies on the web was in 2004 (Lima 103). Tagging a distinctive characteristic of web 2.0 allow users to find and classify information. In conclusion, one of the most interesting depictions that I find most attractive is depiction of arc diagrams. Arc diagrams are capable of representing complex patterns of repetition in string data. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in learning visualizing of complex networks.

Work CitedLima, Manuel. Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2011. Print.