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New plane-sweep algorithms for distance-based join queries in spatial databases

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Abstract

Efficient and effective processing of the distance-based join query (DJQ) is of great importance in spatial databases due to the wide area of applications that may address such queries (mapping, urban planning, transportation planning, resource management, etc.). The most representative and studied DJQs are the K Closest Pairs Query (KCPQ) and εDistance Join Query (εDJQ). These spatial queries involve two spatial data sets and a distance function to measure the degree of closeness, along with a given number of pairs in the final result (K) or a distance threshold (ε). In this paper, we propose four new plane-sweep-based algorithms for KCPQs and their extensions for εDJQs in the context of spatial databases, without the use of an index for any of the two disk-resident data sets (since, building and using indexes is not always in favor of processing performance). They employ a combination of plane-sweep algorithms and space partitioning techniques to join the data sets. Finally, we present results of an extensive experimental study, that compares the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms for KCPQs and εDJQs. This performance study, conducted on medium and big spatial data sets (real and synthetic) validates that the proposed plane-sweep-based algorithms are very promising in terms of both efficient and effective measures, when neither inputs are indexed. Moreover, the best of the new algorithms is experimentally compared to the best algorithm that is based on the R-tree (a widely accepted access method), for KCPQs and εDJQs, using the same data sets. This comparison shows that the new algorithms outperform R-tree based algorithms, in most cases.

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Acknowledgments

Work of all authors funded by the Development of a GeoENvironmental information system for the region of CENtral Greece (GENCENG) project (SYNERGASIA 2011 action, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Greek National Funds); project number 11SYN 8 1213. Work of Antonio Corral also supported by the MINECO research project [TIN2013-41576-R] and the Junta de Andalucia research project [P10-TIC-6114].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, Aristotle University, GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    George Roumelis & Yannis Manolopoulos

  2. Department on Informatics, University of Almeria, 04120, Almeria, Spain

    Antonio Corral

  3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, GR-38221, Volos, Greece

    Michael Vassilakopoulos

Authors
  1. George Roumelis
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  2. Antonio Corral
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  3. Michael Vassilakopoulos
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  4. Yannis Manolopoulos
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Correspondence to Michael Vassilakopoulos.

Additional information

A preliminary partial version of this work appeared in [1].

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Roumelis, G., Corral, A., Vassilakopoulos, M. et al. New plane-sweep algorithms for distance-based join queries in spatial databases. Geoinformatica 20, 571–628 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10707-016-0246-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10707-016-0246-1

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