Efficient Retrieval Techniques for Text Databases

1. Conventional Text-Retrieval Systems Automatic Text Processing by G. Salton, Addison-Wesley, 1989. (Chapter 9)

2. Database Management • A specified set of attributes is used to characterize each record.EMPLOYEE(NAME, SSN, BDATE, ADDR, SEX, SALARY, DNO) • Exact match between the attributes used inquery formulationsandthose attached to the document. SELECT BDATE, ADDR FROM EMPLOYEE WHERE NAME = ‘John Smith’

3. Text-Retrieval Systems • Content identifiers (keywords, index terms, descriptors) characterize the stored texts. • Degrees of coincidence between the sets of identifiers attached to queries and documents content analysis query formulation

4. Possible Representation • Document representation • unweighted index terms (term vectors) • weighted index terms • … • Query • unweighted or weighted index terms • Boolean combinations (or, and, not) • … • Search operation must be effective

5. File Structures • Main requirements • fast-access for various kinds of searches • large number of indices • Alternatives • Inverted Files • Signature Files • PAT trees

6. Inverted Files • File is represented as an array of indexed documents.

7. Inverted-file process • The document-term array is inverted (transposed).

8. Inverted-file process (Continued) • Take two or more rows of an inverted term-document array, and produce a single combined list of document identifiers. • Ex: Query= (term2 and term3) term21 1 0 0term3 0 1 1 1------------------------------------------------------ 1 <-- D2

9. List-merging for two ordered lists • The inverted-index operations to obtain answers are based on list-merging process. • ExampleT1: {D1, D3}T2: {D1, D2}Merged(T1, T2): {D1, D1, D2, D3}

10. Extensions of Inverted Index Operations(Distance Constraints) • Distance Constraints • (A within sentence B)terms A and B must co-occur in a common sentence • (A adjacent B)terms A and B must occur adjacently in the text

11. Extensions of Inverted Index Operations(Distance Constraints) • Implementation • include term-location in the inverted indexesinformation: {P345, P348, P350, …}retrieval: {P123, P128, P345, …} • include sentence-location in the indexes information: {P345, 25; P345, 37; P348, 10; P350, 8; …}retrieval: {P123, 5; P128, 25; P345, 37; P345, 40; …}

12. Extensions of Inverted Index Operations(Distance Constraints) • Include paragraph numbers in the indexessentence numbers within paragraphsword numbers within sentencesinformation: {P345, 2, 3, 5; …}retrieval: {P345, 2, 3, 6; …} • Query examples(information adjacent retrieval)(information within five words retrieval) • Cost: the size of indexes

13. Term Weights • Term WeightsDi={Ti1, 0.2; Ti2, 0.5; Ti3, 0.6} • Issues • how to generate the term weights • how to apply the term weights • Sum the weights of all document terms that match the given query. • Rank the output documents in the descending order of term weight.

14. Boolean Query with Term Weights • Transform a Boolean expression into disjunctive normal form.T1 and (T2 or T3) = (T1 and T2) or (T1 and T3) • For each conjunct, compute the minimum term weight of any document term in that conjunct. • The document weight is the maximum of all the conjunct weights.

15. Boolean Query with Term Weights • Example: Q=(T1 and T2) or T3Document Conjunct QueryVectors Weights Weight(T1 and T2) (T3) (T1 and T2) or T3D1=(T1,0.2;T2,0.5;T3,0.6)0.2 0.6 0.6D2=(T1,0.7;T2,0.2;T3,0.1)0.2 0.1 0.2D1 is preferred.

16. Synonym Specification • Original Query(T1 and T2) or T3Assume S1 is a synonym of T1.Assume S3 is a synonym of T3. • Broader Query((T1 or S1) and T2) or (T3 or S3) • The number of relevant items retrieved may be larger.

17. Stemming • Term Truncation • Remove suffixes and/or prefixes from context terms. • ExamplePSYCH*: psychiatrist, psychiatry, psychiatric,psychology, psychological, …

18. Term Truncation • Implementation • Only suffix truncationConventional inverted-index methodology can be maintained unchanged. • Only prefix truncationThe term entries in inverted index are inversely alphabetized.antisymmetry --> yrtemmysitna

19. Term Truncation • Both prefix and suffix truncation*SYMM*:antisymmetric,asymmetryinverted-index entries that are alphabetized both forward and backward • infix truncationwom*nwomanwomeninverted index with entries for all possible “rotated” word forms

20. Term Truncation • Each term entry X=x1, x2, …, xn with individual characters xi is augmented by adding a special terminal character /.ABC ABC/BABC BABC/BCAB BCAB/ • Each augmented term x1, x2, …, xn/ is rotated cyclically by wrapping the term around itself n+1 times.ABC/ / ABC,C/ AB,BC/ A,ABC/

21. Term Truncation • Each resulting word form is then augmented by appending a blank character ^. • The resulting file of word forms is sorted alphabetically. ^, /, a, b, c, …, Zlow high

22. ABC ABC/ /ABC^ /ABC^ C/AB^ /BABC^ BC/A^ /BCAB^ ABC/^ AB/BC^ BABC BABC/ /BABC^ ABC/^ C/BAB^ ABC/B^ BC/BA^ B/BCA^ ABC/B^ BABC/^ BABC/^ BC/A^ BCAB BCAB/ /BCAB^ BC/BA^ B/BCA^ BCAB/^ AB/BC^ C/AB^ CAB/B^ C/BAB^ BCAB/^ CAB/B^

23. Retrieval Strategies • Query term XLook for index entries /X^orX/^. • Query term X*Look for /X*. • Query term *XLook for X/^ => X/Y1, …, X/Yn.original patterns: X, Y1X, …, YnX • Query term *X*Look for XY1/Z1, …, XYn/Zn.original patterns: Z1XY1, …, ZnXYn

24. ABC ABC/ /ABC^ /ABC^ *B* C/AB^ /BABC^ BC/A^ /BCAB^ ABC/^ AB/BC^ BABC BABC/ /BABC^ ABC/^ C/BAB^ ABC/B^ BC/BA^ B/BCA^ BCAB ABC/B^ BABC/^ BABC BABC/^ BC/A^ ABC BCAB BCAB/ /BCAB^ BC/BA^ BABC B/BCA^ BCAB/^ BCAB AB/BC^ C/AB^ CAB/B^ C/BAB^ BCAB/^ CAB/B^

25. Retrieval Strategies • Query term X*YLook for Y/XZ1, …, Y/XZm.Original patterns:XZ1Y, …, XZmY • CostIncrease index entries.