Actor-Oriented Specification of Dynamic and Deontic Integrity Constraints

The logic of norms, called deontic logic, has been used to specify static, dynamic and deontic integrity constraints for databases. For example, one can specify in deontic logic that a book borrowed from a library should be returned within three weeks, and that if it is not returned, the library should send a reminder. Intuitively, deontic logic presupposes the concept of an actor who undertakes actions and is responsible for fulfilling obligations. Until now, this concept has not been formalized. We present a formalization that increases the expressivity of database specifications, as well as allows us to solve a long-standing paradox of deontic logic.