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Variable Time Span

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Encyclopedia of Database Systems

Synonyms

Moving span

Definition

A span is variable if its duration is dependent on the assumed context.

Key Points

Given a specific setting, any span is either a fixed span or a variable span. An obvious example of a variable span is “1 month” in the Gregorian calendar. Its duration may be any of 28, 29, 30, and 31 days, depending on which particular month is intended. The span “1 h” is fixed because it always has a duration of 60 min.

Cross-references

Fixed Time Span

Temporal Database

Temporal Granularity

Time Interval

Time Span

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Recommended Reading

  1. Bettini C., Dyreson C.E., Evans W.S., Snodgrass R.T., and Wang X.S. A glossary of time granularity concepts. In Temporal Databases: Research and Practice, O. Etzion, S. Jajodia, S. Sripada (eds.). LNCS 1399, Springer, Berlin, 1998, pp. 406–413.

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  2. Jensen C.S. and Dyreson C.E. (eds.). A consensus glossary of temporal database concepts – February 1998 version. In Temporal Databases: Research and Practice, O. Etzion, S. Jajodia, S. Sripada (eds.). LNCS 1399, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1998, pp. 367–405.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Christian S. Jensen

  2. University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Richard T. Snodgrass

Authors
  1. Christian S. Jensen
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  2. Richard T. Snodgrass
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 266 Ferst Drive, 30332-0765, Atlanta, GA, USA

    LING LIU (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Database Research Group David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    M. TAMER ÖZSU (Professor and Director, University Research Chair) (Professor and Director, University Research Chair)

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© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Jensen, C., T. Snodgrass, R. (2009). Variable Time Span. In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_1431

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