Formalizing the XML Schema Matching Problem as a Constraint Optimization Problem

The first step in finding an efficient way to solve any difficult problem is making a complete, possibly formal, problem specification. This paper introduces a formal specification for the problem of semantic XML schema matching . Semantic schema matching has been extensively researched, and many matching systems have been developed. However, formal specifications of problems being solved by these systems do not exist, or are partial. In this paper, we analyze the problem of semantic schema matching, identify its main components and deliver a formal specification based on the constraint optimization problem formalism. Throughout the paper, we consider the schema matching problem as encountered in the context of a large scale XML schema matching application.