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Database Theory in Action: Yannakakis' Algorithm

Authors Paraschos Koutris , Stijn Vansummeren , Qichen Wang , Yisu Remy Wang , Xiangyao Yu

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LIPIcs.ICDT.2026.25.pdf
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Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Information systems → Join algorithms
Keywords
  • Join algorithms
  • acyclicity
  • Yannakakis' algorithm

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Abstract

Yannakakis' seminal algorithm is optimal for acyclic joins, yet it has not been widely adopted due to its poor performance in practice. This paper briefly surveys recent advancements in making Yannakakis' algorithm more practical, in terms of both efficiency and ease of implementation, and points out several avenues for future research.

Cite As Get BibTex

Paraschos Koutris, Stijn Vansummeren, Qichen Wang, Yisu Remy Wang, and Xiangyao Yu. Database Theory in Action: Yannakakis' Algorithm. In 29th International Conference on Database Theory (ICDT 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 365, pp. 25:1-25:6, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026) https://doi.org/10.4230/LIPIcs.ICDT.2026.25

Author Details

Paraschos Koutris
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
Stijn Vansummeren
  • UHasselt, Data Science Institute, Diepenbeek, Belgium
Qichen Wang
  • Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Yisu Remy Wang
  • University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Xiangyao Yu
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA

Funding

  • Vansummeren, Stijn: supported by Hasselt University Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (BOF) under Grant BOF20ZAP02 and the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) under Grant No. G0B9623N.
  • Wang, Qichen: supported by the Nanyang Technological University Startup Grant and the Singapore Ministry of Education under Grant No. RS32/25.

References

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