Re: how should undefined elements figure in aggregate samples?

On 31/03/15 10:31, james anderson wrote:
> good morning;
>
> On 2015-03-31, at 11:04, Andy Seaborne <andy@apache.org
> <mailto:andy@apache.org>> wrote:
>
>> The aggregate handle errors based on the nature of each aggregates:
>>
>> e.g.
>> http://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-query/#defn_aggCount
>> "remove error elements from N"
>>
>> so count(?x) is the number of defined ?x in the group, count(*) the
>> number of rows, count(if(?x = 99),1,0)) the number of times 99 occurs.
>>
>> Sum(?x) does not remove error or indeed non-numbers:
>> so sum(1+2+undef) is undef as is sum(1+"oops")
>>
>> Sum(coalesce(?x,0)) on {1, 2, undef} is 3.
>> Sum(coalesce(?x+0,0)) on {1, 2, "oops"} is 3.
>>
>> There is no canonical result for sample().
>
> ok, let us be less specific and return to the opening question: given
> the nature of sparql, which result is useful?
>
> in addition to which, there is also a concern, how the passage in the
> text which leads the section on “aggregate algebra" affects sample
> argument expressions which are more complex than a single variable?
> where the text specifies
>
> Note that, although the result of a ListEval can be an error, and errors
> may be used to group, solutions containing error values are removed at
> projection time.
>      ListEval((unbound), μ) = (error), as the evaluation of an unbound
> expression is an error.
>
> one reading of that text is that such expressions would certainly be
> errors should they entail evaluation of an unbound marker, in which
> case, the “no canonical result” interpretation for the simple variable
> reference introduces a unwarranted asymmetry in the way sample
> expressions are to be interpreted.

My comment "no canonical result" about SAMPLE was a general observation 
that, regardless of errors, there is no defined output - it's one the 
group, no guarantees as to which of the several possibilities.

What were you looking for from SAMPLE?

 Andy

>
> best regards, from berlin,
> ---
> james anderson | james@dydra.com <mailto:james@dydra.com> | http://dydra.com
>
>
>
>
>

Received on Wednesday, 1 April 2015 10:38:08 UTC