An approach to complexity theory which offers a means of analysing algorithms in terms of their tractability. The authors consider the problem in terms of parameterized languages and taking "k-slices" of the language, thus introducing readers to new classes of algorithms which may be analysed more precisely than was the case until now. The book is as self-contained as possible and includes a great deal of background material. As a result, computer scientists, mathematicians, and graduate students interested in the design and analysis of algorithms will find much of interest.

Active rules provide a new and important method for designing databases and the subject is seeing an increasing amount of attention from commercial database companies. This book provides a timely survey of the field from the point of view of some of the subject's most active researchers. The book is divided into several parts, organized by theme: the first, Fundamentals covers the underlying methodology reagrding active rules, next comes a collection of chapters which cover formal specification, rule analysis, performance analysis, and support tools, the third part is devoted to a number of...