arXiv · 2512.23330
Database Theory in Action: From Inexpressibility to Efficiency in GQL's Order-Constrained Paths
Abstract
Pattern matching of core GQL, the new ISO standard for querying property graphs, cannot check whether edge values are increasing along a path, as established in recent work. We present a constructive translation that overcomes this limitation by compiling the increasing-edges condition into the input graph. Remarkably, the benefit of this construction goes beyond restoring expressiveness. In our proof-of-concept implementation in Neo4j's Cypher, where such path constraints are expressible but costly, our compiled version runs faster and avoids timeouts. This illustrates how a theoretically motivated translation can not only close an expressiveness gap but also bring practical performance gains.
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Hadar Rotschield, Liat Peterfreund. 2025-12-29. Database Theory in Action: From Inexpressibility to Efficiency in GQL's Order-Constrained Paths. https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.23330
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