Walk logic as a framework for path query languages on graph databases

Abstract

Motivated by the current interest in languages for expressing path queries to graph databases, this paper proposes to investigate Walk Logic (WL): the extension of first-order logic on finite graphs with the possibility to explicitly quantify over walks. WL can serve as a unifying framework for path query languages. To support this claim, WL is compared in expressive power with various established query languages for graphs, such as first-order logic extended with reachability; the monadic second-order logic of graphs; hybrid computation tree logic; and regular path queries. WL also serves as a framework to investigate the following natural questions: Is quantifying over walks more powerful than quantifying over paths (walks without repeating nodes) only? Is quantifying over infinite walks more powerful than quantifying over finite walks only? WL model checking is decidable, but determining the precise complexity remains an open problem.