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An Overview of Query Optimization in Relational Systems

Summary: Survey of SQL query optimization in RDBMS: optimizer vs executor, physical operators and execution plans, and why plan selection is performance-critical. Frames optimization as a hard search problem and pinpoints three core tasks—search-space definition, cost estimation, and efficient enumeration. (summarized by gpt-5-mini on Feb 09 2026)

Paper ID
1128
Venue
PODS
Year
1998
Pagerank
0.00022734812
Overall Rank
454 | 96.85%
DOI
-

Incoming Non-self Citations Over Time

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Incoming Citations (Sorted by Pagerank)

Showing 23 of 73 citing papers.

Rank Citing Paper Year Venue Pagerank
9,280 A Theory of Regular Queries 2016 PODS 4.3636639e-05
9,330 Parallel Query Processing: To Separate Communication from Computation 2022 SIGMOD 4.3556432e-05
9,332 PlinyCompute: A Platform for High-Performance, Distributed, Data-Intensive Tool Development 2018 SIGMOD 4.3556432e-05
9,444 Online Optimization and Fair Costing for Dynamic Data Sharing in a Cloud Data Market 2014 SIGMOD 4.3408772e-05
9,662 Efficient Query Re-optimization with Judicious Subquery Selections 2023 SIGMOD 4.3097631e-05
9,706 Distributed Numerical and Machine Learning Computations via Two-Phase Execution of Aggregated Join Trees 2021 VLDB 4.2992942e-05
9,747 Still Asking: How Good Are Query Optimizers, Really? 2025 VLDB 4.2897489e-05
9,869 Turbo-Charging SPJ Query Plans with Learned Physical Join Operator Selections 2022 VLDB 4.2675361e-05
9,972 KathDB: Explainable Multimodal Database Management System with Human-AI Collaboration 2026 CIDR 4.1945683e-05
10,616 Unraveling the Impact of Window Semantics: Optimizing Join Order for Efficient Stream Processing 2025 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
10,752 QUEST: Query Optimization in Unstructured Document Analysis 2025 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
10,762 ParSEval: Plan-aware Test Database Generation for SQL Equivalence Evaluation 2025 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
10,942 Sub-optimal Join Order Identification with L1-error 2024 SIGMOD 4.1945683e-05
10,994 Towards a Converged Relational-Graph Optimization Framework 2024 SIGMOD 4.1945683e-05
11,023 Window Function Expression: Let the Self-join Enter 2024 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
11,053 Efficient Enumeration of Recursive Plans in Transformation-based Query Optimizers 2024 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
11,435 Synchronization Schemas 2021 PODS 4.1945683e-05
11,570 Towards the Scheduling of Vertex-constrained Multi Subgraph Matching Query 2020 SIGMOD 4.1945683e-05
11,882 Parallel Evaluation of Multi-Semi-Joins 2016 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
12,266 Ten Thousand SQLs: Parallel Keyword Queries Computing 2010 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
12,302 A Framework for Testing Query Transformation Rules 2009 SIGMOD 4.1945683e-05
12,309 Ordering, Distinctness, Aggregation, Partitioning and DQP Optimization in Sybase ASE 15 2009 SIGMOD 4.1945683e-05
12,606 The NEXT Framework for Logical XQuery Optimization 2004 VLDB 4.1945683e-05
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Outgoing Citations (Sorted by Pagerank)

Showing 38 of 38 cited papers.

Citations counted here include only citations to other VLDB/SIGMOD/CIDR/PODS papers in this database.

Rank Cited Paper Year Venue Pagerank
1 Access Path Selection in a Relational Database Management System 1979 SIGMOD 0.0040449103
16 MAGIC SETS AND OTHER STRANGE WAYS TO IMPLEMENT LOGIC PROGRAMS (Extended Abstract) 1986 PODS 0.0010066783
28 Accurate Estimation Of The Number Of Tuples Satisfying A Condition 1984 SIGMOD 0.00080435857
51 Including Group-By in Query Optimization 1994 VLDB 0.00067123727
59 Sampling-Based Estimation of the Number of Distinct Values of an Attribute 1995 VLDB 0.00064501896
64 Improved Histograms for Selectivity Estimation of Range Predicates 1996 SIGMOD 0.00063612837
72 Combining Fuzzy Information from Multiple Systems 1996 PODS 0.00058577335
88 Common Expression Analysis in Database Applications 1982 SIGMOD 0.00052316625
100 Of Nests and Trees: A Unified Approach to Processing Queries That Contain Nested Subqueries, Aggregates, and Quantifiers 1987 VLDB 0.00049624696
106 Extensible/Rule Based Query Rewrite Optimization in Starburst 1992 SIGMOD 0.00048400734
116 Equi-Depth Histograms For Estimating Selectivity Factors For Multi-Dimensional Queries 1988 SIGMOD 0.00046148737
130 Optimization of Nested SQL Queries Revisited 1987 SIGMOD 0.00044031247
132 The EXODUS Optimizer Generator 1987 SIGMOD 0.00042994082
138 Query Transformation for PSJ-queries 1987 VLDB 0.00042334092
139 Predicate Migration: Optimizing Queries with Expensive Predicates 1993 SIGMOD 0.00042299329
141 Selectivity Estimation Without the Attribute Value Independence Assumption 1997 VLDB 0.00041786333
195 Optimizing Queries over Multimedia Repositories 1996 SIGMOD 0.00035406558
218 Aggregate-Query Processing in Data Warehousing Environments 1995 VLDB 0.00033503922
219 Grammar-like Functional Rules for Representing Query Optimization Alternatives 1988 SIGMOD 0.00033244259
248 Eager Aggregation and Lazy Aggregation 1995 VLDB 0.00030785339
268 R* Optimizer Validation and Performance Evaluation for Local Queries 1986 SIGMOD 0.00029662304
269 Fast Incremental Maintenance of Approximate Histograms 1997 VLDB 0.00029656549
307 Extensible Query Processing in Starburst 1989 SIGMOD 0.00028211308
423 Measuring the Complexity of Join Enumeration in Query Optimization 1990 VLDB 0.00023669348
508 Dynamic Query Evaluation Plans 1989 SIGMOD 0.00021463742
530 Random Sampling for Histogram Construction: How much is enough? 1998 SIGMOD 0.00020803682
584 Answering Queries with Aggregation Using Views 1996 VLDB 0.0001971526
808 Universality of Serial Histograms 1993 VLDB 0.00016432772
876 Parametric Query Optimization 1992 VLDB 0.00015716096
896 Towards an Open Architecture for LDL 1989 VLDB 0.00015529255
901 Query Graphs, Implementing Trees, and Freely-Reorderable Outerjoins 1990 SIGMOD 0.00015487777
907 Fundamental Techniques for Order Optimization 1996 SIGMOD 0.00015435983
990 Improved Unnesting Algorithms for Join Aggregate SQL Queries 1992 VLDB 0.00014809094
1,302 Query Optimization by Predicate Move-Around 1994 VLDB 0.00012705525
1,313 Cost-Based Optimization for Magic: Algebra and Implementation 1996 SIGMOD 0.0001263831
1,423 Magic is Relevant 1990 SIGMOD 0.00012054867
2,860 Optimization of Queries with User-defined Predicates 1996 VLDB 7.9934503e-05
4,199 Implementation of Magic-sets in a Relational Database System 1994 SIGMOD 6.3662839e-05
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Overall Rank Paper Year Venue Pagerank
220 Efficient Mid-Query Re-Optimization of Sub-Optimal Query Execution Plans 1998 SIGMOD 0.00033194808
8,213 On the Calculation of Optimality Ranges for Relational Query Execution Plans 2018 SIGMOD 4.557937e-05
1,199 A General Framework for the Optimization of Object-Oriented Queries 1992 SIGMOD 0.00013354204
3,408 Query Optimizers: Time to Rethink the Contract? 2009 SIGMOD 7.1288167e-05
71 How Good Are Query Optimizers, Really? 2016 VLDB 0.00059038975
9,957 How to Optimize SQL Queries? A Comparison Between Split, Holistic, and Hybrid Approaches 2025 VLDB 4.2373024e-05
143 Optimization of Nonrecursive Queries 1986 VLDB 0.00041510555
2,860 Optimization of Queries with User-defined Predicates 1996 VLDB 7.9934503e-05
2,044 Optimization of Multi-Way Join Queries for Parallel Execution 1991 VLDB 9.6953608e-05
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