Lifespan

Synonyms

Existence time; Temporal domain

Definition

The lifespan of a database object is the time during which the corresponding real-world object exists in the modeled reality.

Key Points

Some temporal data models, e.g., conceptual models, provide built-in support for the capture of lifespans, while other models do not. It may be observed that lifespans can be reduced to valid times, in the sense that the lifespan of an object o is the valid time of the fact “o exists.”

In the general case, the lifespan of an object is an arbitrary subset of the time domain and is naturally captured by a temporal element timestamp.

The synonym “existence time” is also used for this concept.

Cross-References

• Temporal Conceptual Models

• Temporal Database

• Temporal Element

• Time Domain

• Time in Philosophical Logic

• Valid Time