Bernhard Thalheim

Bernhard Thalheim
Born	Radebeul, Germany
Alma mater	Dresden University of Technology Lomonosov Moscow State University
Known for	Conceptual Modeling and its Theoretical Foundation
Awards	Peter P. Chen Award of Elsevier for Entity-Relationship Model research
Scientific career
Fields	Computer Science
Institutions	Christian-Albrechts-Universität Lomonosov Moscow State University Brandenburg Technical University University of Rostock Dresden University of Technology

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim is a computer scientist and Chaired Professor of Information Systems Engineering at Christian-Albrechts-Universität of Kiel, CAU).

Biography

Bernhard Thalheim born March 30, 1952 in Radebeul near Dresden, Germany received his M.Sc. in Mathematics & Computer Science in 1975 at the Dresden University of Technology, PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Discrete Mathematics & Computer Science in 1979 at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) in Theoretical Computer Science in 1985 at the Dresden University of Technology.

From 1986-1989 Thalheim was an Associated Professor at the Dresden University of Technology. From 1989 - 1993 was Full Professor and Chair at the University of Rostock. From 1988 - 1990 and 2004 was Visiting Professor at the University of Kuwait. From 1993 - 2003 Dean and Full Professor at the Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus. In 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 was Visiting Professor at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. In 2003 was Visiting Professor at Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Since 2003 Chaired Full Professor at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität of Kiel

Thalheim has received number of awards for his achievements in Information Systems Engineering. He was honored in 2005 as the Kolmogorow-Professor h.c. at the Lomonossow-University Moskov, on 22. 10. 2008 received the Peter P. Chen Award of Elsevier for Entity-Relationship Model research, is the founder of the German Chapter of DAMA, international Vice-Chair of the steering committee of the FoIKS conferences, Member of steering committees of conferences, e.g. ER, ADBIS, ASM, NLDB Editor of Data and Knowledge Engineering and other journals, and member of the board of dataport.

Scientific Work and Contributions

Conceptual Modeling

Long standing foundational Contributions to Conceptual modeling theory and Science of Conceptual Modeling of Prof. Dr. rar. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim is at many levels and abstractions such as Higher Order Extended ER model and chapter 4 of the handbook of Conceptual Modeling . Thalheim did in fact more than anyone for formalization and theoretically underpinning of conceptual modeling, and to introduce it to the academic literature.

The Higher Order Extended Entity-Relationship Model (HERM) serves as the foundation of many systems analysis and design methodologies, computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools, and repository systems. The HERM Model is the basis for wide number of commercial projects in Germany and Europe, and is commonly cited as the definite reference for Foundations of Database Management Systems and Entity-Relationship Modeling.

Thalheim's contributions in the HREM is deep-rooted in the A. P. G. Brown's invention of the Entity-Relationship Model concept, and the basic ideas appear in earlier papers especially by practitioners, such as that by Peter Chen .

The ER Model was adopted as the meta model ANSI Standard in Information Resource Directory System (IRDS), and the ER approach has been ranked at the top methodology for database design and one of the top methodologies in systems development by several surveys of high profile companies.

Semantics in Databases and Database theory

On Database Semantics

generalization of functional dependencies for user-friendly database design; keys, null values; complexity theory for databases (number of key with/without restrictions, Armstrong relations and their complexity); join dependencies and their axiomatization; axiomatization of multivalued dependencies and their generalizations; relations among database semantics, universal algebras and logics; systematic approaches to the theory of integrity constraints in databases; relational operations; deductive normal forms (Reducing relations and databases on the basis of integrity constraints); normalization theory and algorithms; foundations of semantical and object-oriented database models; integrity constraints for semantical database models; generic operations in object-oriented databases.

On the Entity-Relationship Database Model

extending the entity-relationship model by constructors for nested types;relationship types of arbitrary order (defined on relationship types);expressions differentiating generalization and specialization; static and dynamic integrity constraints, soft constraints; operations, actions, transactions, query forms, query-by-example, ER-SQL; interaction specification, interface derivation rules; behavior models; constraint enforcement; ER views capable to express any OLAP schema; ER-based internet information services; development of a general transformation theory for ER models;development of information system development methodologies (modular design by units, codesign.)

On Object-Oriented and Active Database Models

development of OO models with full expressive power; integrity constraints in object-oriented models; generic operations; unsafety of trigger approaches; safety of greatest consistent specializations; consistency enforcement; Identification mechanisms for different database models.

Co-Design for information systems

Co-Design for information systems applications by integration of structural specification, functionality specification and interaction specification on the basis of an extended ER models.

Abstraction Layer Model

as general methodological environment with the abstraction layers of motivation layer, business process layer, action layer, conceptual layer and implementation layer. With the Integration of all aspects structure, views, processes and interaction. With Transformations to logical structures, database transactions, view sets and interfaces with drivers for user adaptation

Content Management

The Kiel approach - towards content on demand, on time, for the currently used playout, in the most pleasing layout, within the currently used context, depending on usage portfolio and user profiles.

Content management systems on demand separating aspects or concerns into Content management based on Content generation and injection depending on play-in systems,content play-out depending on stories, users and context, extracts of content describing the asset and providing meta-information.

Concepts associated with content specified on abstraction layers of concept specification varying from concept lattices, through ontologies to logical theories such as content description logics, concept fields and concept maps in various granularity, conceptualizations of theories in various application areas.

Topics or symbols associated with content Knowledge annotation maps of people, Topic maps or lightweight ontologies for exchange, collaboration, Notation landscapes of users and applications, Assets for associating content suites and topics,Infons for associating topics and concepts.

Pragmatics of content depending on users and their Profile (skills, knowledge, ...), portfolio (tasks, roles, rights, restrictions), networked communities (collaboration, cooperation, communication, coordination, (ex)change),playout of content depending on context, user, history, portfolio, and security profiles.

Tools

Rapid application and database development RADD (toolbox for development of structures, constraints, functions, views and interfaces for database systems) [commercial version ID2 1988-2001]

VisualSQL (Visual database querying) Visual database querying Research

Collections of Notable Scientific Work Presentations

2008

2009

2010

Publications

Bernhard Thalheim published several books, papers and articles.

Books, a selection:

• 2011. Handbook of Conceptual Modeling: Theory, Practice, and Research Challenges. With David W. Embley(eds.), Springer ISBN 364215864
• 2011. Semantics in Data and Knowledge Bases. With Klaus-Dieter Schewe (eds.), 4th International Workshops, SDKB 2010, Bordeaux, France, July 5, 2010, Revised Selected Papers Springer.
• 2010. Advances in Databases and Information Systems - 14th East European Conference. With Barbara Catania, and Mirjana Ivanovic (eds.), ADBIS 2010, Novi Sad, Serbia, September 20-24, Proceedings Springer.
• 2008. Semantics in Data and Knowledge Bases. With Klaus-Dieter Schewe (eds.), Third International Workshop, SDKB 2008, Nantes, France, March 29, 2008, Revised Selected Papers Springer.
• 2008. Web Information Systems Engineering - WISE 2008. With James Bailey, David Maier, Klaus-Dieter Schewe, and Xiaoyang Sean Wang (eds.), 9th International Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, September 1-3, 2008. Proceedings Springer.
• 2007. Conceptual Modeling - ER 2007. With Christine Parent, Klaus-Dieter Schewe, and Veda C. Storey (eds.), 26th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling, Auckland, New Zealand, November 5-9, 2007, Proceedings Springer.
• 2004. Abstract State Machines 2004. Advances in Theory and Practice. with Wolf Zimmermann(eds.) 11th International Workshop, ASM, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, May 24-28, 2004. Proceedings Springer,
• 2004. Web Information Systems. With Christoph Bussler, Suk-ki Hong, Woochun Jun, Roland Kaschek, Kinshuk, Shonali Krishnaswamy, Seng Wai Loke, Daniel Oberle, Debbie Richards, Amit Sharma, and York Sure (eds.), WISE 2004 International Workshops, Brisbane, Australia, November 22-24, 2004. Proceedings Springer.
• 2003. Semantics in Databases. With Leopoldo E. Bertossi, Gyula O. H. Katona, and Klaus-Dieter Schewe (eds.), Second International Workshop, Dagstuhl Castle, Germany, January 7-12, 2001, Revised Papers Springer.
• 2003. Advances in Databases and Information Systems. With Leonid A. Kalinichenko, Rainer Manthey, and Uwe Wloka (eds.),7th East European Conference, ADBIS 2003, Dresden, Germany, September 3-6, 2003, Proceedings Springer.
• 2000. Entity-Relationship Modeling Foundations of Database Technology. Springer, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-540-65470-4.
• 2000. Current Issues in Databases and Information Systems, East-European Conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems. With Julius Stuller, Jaroslav Pokorný, and Yoshifumi Masunaga (eds.), Held Jointly with International Conference on Database Systems for Advanced Applications, ADBIS-DASFAA 2000, Prague, Czech Republic, September 5-8, 2000, Proceedings Springer.
• 2000. Foundations of Information and Knowledge Systems. With Klaus-Dieter Schewe (eds.), First International Symposium, FoIKS 2000, Burg, Germany, February 14-17, 2000, Proceedings Springer.
• 1999. Conceptual Modeling: Current Issues and Future Directions (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) With Peter Chen, Jacky Akoka, and Hannu Kangassalo (eds.).
• 1989. Practical Database Design Methodologies. Kuwait University Press.

Articles:

• 1984-2011: 316 publications, 23 main publications, 212 per-reviewed publications, 81 other publications, 97 manuscripts, pre-prints, submitted and accepted papers

DBLP Listing

External Links

1. Home page of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim at Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel retrieved 26 January 2012
2. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim Homepage form CAU section profile retrieved 26 January 2012
3. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim, Honors. Retrieved 26 January 2012
4. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bernhard Thalheim Professional Activities. Retrieved 26 January 2012