Peter Chen
Encyclopedia
Dr. Peter Pin-Shan Chen is an American computer scientist
and Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana State University
, who is known for the development of Entity-Relationship Model
ing in 1976.
, Taiwan
Peter Chen received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1968 at the National Taiwan University
, and a Ph.D. in computer science/applied mathematics at the Harvard University
in 1973. From 1974 to 1978 Chen was an Assistant Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management
. From 1978 to 1984 he was Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Management School). Since 1983 Chen has held the position of M. J. Foster Distinguished Chair Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana State University
.
Chen has received several awards in the fields of Information Technology. He received the Data Resource Management Technology Award from the Data Administration Management Association
in New York City in 1990. In 1998, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
. He won the Achievement Award in Information Management in 2000 from DAMA International. He was an inductee into the Data Management Hall of Fame in 2000. He received the Stevens Award
in Software Method Innovation in 2001. In 2003, Dr. Chen received the IEEE Harry Goode Award at the IEEE-CS Board of Governors meeting in San Diego. Dr. Chen was presented with the ACM
/AAAI Allen Newell Award
at the ACM Banquet in San Diego in June 2003. Dr. Chen is also the recipient of the Pan Wen-Yuan Outstanding Research Award in 2004.
model serves as the foundation of many systems analysis and design methodologies, computer-aided software engineering
(CASE) tools, and repository
systems. The ER Model is the basis for IBM
's Repository Manager/MVS and DEC
's CDD/Plus.
Dr. Peter Chen's original paper is commonly cited as the definitive reference for Entity Relationship Modelling. Chen did not in fact invent the concept; the basic ideas appear in earlier papers especially by practitioners, such as that by A. P. G. Brown. However, Chen did more than anyone to formalize and popularize the model, and to introduce it to the academic literature.
The ER Model was adopted as the meta model ANSI Standard
in Information Resource Directory System (IRDS), and the ER approach has been ranked at the top methodology for database design and one of the top methodologies in systems development by several surveys of Fortune 500
companies.
(CASE). In the late 80’s and early 90’s, IBM’s Application Development Cycle (AD/Cycle) framework and DB2
repository (RM/MVS) were based on the ER model. Other vendors’ repository systems such as Digital’s CDD+ were also based on the ER model. Chen has had a significant impact on the CASE industry through his research and his lecturing around the world on structured system development methodologies. The ER model has influenced most of the major CASE tools, including Computer Associates’ ERWIN, Oracle Corporation
’s Designer/2000, and Sybase
’s PowerDesigner
(and even a general drawing tool like Microsoft Visio
), as well as the IDEF1X
standard.
The hypertext
concept, which makes the World Wide Web extremely popular, is very similar to the main concept in the ER model. Dr. Chen is currently investigating this linkage as an invited expert of several XML
working groups of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The ER model also serves as the foundation of some of the recent work on Object-oriented analysis and design methodologies and Semantic Web
. The UML
modeling language has its roots in the ER model.
Articles, a selection:
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
and Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, who is known for the development of Entity-Relationship Model
Entity-relationship model
In software engineering, an entity-relationship model is an abstract and conceptual representation of data. Entity-relationship modeling is a database modeling method, used to produce a type of conceptual schema or semantic data model of a system, often a relational database, and its requirements...
ing in 1976.
Biography
Born in TaichungTaichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
Peter Chen received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1968 at the National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
, and a Ph.D. in computer science/applied mathematics at the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1973. From 1974 to 1978 Chen was an Assistant Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
. From 1978 to 1984 he was Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Management School). Since 1983 Chen has held the position of M. J. Foster Distinguished Chair Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
.
Chen has received several awards in the fields of Information Technology. He received the Data Resource Management Technology Award from the Data Administration Management Association
DAMA
DAMA is a not-for-profit, vendor-independent, international association of technical and business professionals dedicated to advancing the concepts and practices of information resource management and data resource management .DAMA's primary purpose is to promote the understanding, development...
in New York City in 1990. In 1998, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
. He won the Achievement Award in Information Management in 2000 from DAMA International. He was an inductee into the Data Management Hall of Fame in 2000. He received the Stevens Award
Stevens Award
The Stevens Award is a software engineering award given in memory of Wayne Stevens. The international Stevens Award was created to recognize outstanding contributions to the literature or practice of methods for software and systems development...
in Software Method Innovation in 2001. In 2003, Dr. Chen received the IEEE Harry Goode Award at the IEEE-CS Board of Governors meeting in San Diego. Dr. Chen was presented with the ACM
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
/AAAI Allen Newell Award
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence or AAAI is an international, nonprofit, scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines...
at the ACM Banquet in San Diego in June 2003. Dr. Chen is also the recipient of the Pan Wen-Yuan Outstanding Research Award in 2004.
Entity-Relationship Modeling
The Entity-Relationship ModelEntity-relationship model
In software engineering, an entity-relationship model is an abstract and conceptual representation of data. Entity-relationship modeling is a database modeling method, used to produce a type of conceptual schema or semantic data model of a system, often a relational database, and its requirements...
model serves as the foundation of many systems analysis and design methodologies, computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products...
(CASE) tools, and repository
Software repository
A software repository is a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed on a computer.- Discussion :Many software publishers and other organizations maintain servers on the Internet for this purpose, either free of charge or for a subscription fee...
systems. The ER Model is the basis for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's Repository Manager/MVS and DEC
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
's CDD/Plus.
Dr. Peter Chen's original paper is commonly cited as the definitive reference for Entity Relationship Modelling. Chen did not in fact invent the concept; the basic ideas appear in earlier papers especially by practitioners, such as that by A. P. G. Brown. However, Chen did more than anyone to formalize and popularize the model, and to introduce it to the academic literature.
The ER Model was adopted as the meta model ANSI Standard
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
in Information Resource Directory System (IRDS), and the ER approach has been ranked at the top methodology for database design and one of the top methodologies in systems development by several surveys of Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies.
Computer-Aided Software Engineering
Chen’s work is a cornerstone of software engineering, in particular Computer-Aided Software EngineeringComputer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products...
(CASE). In the late 80’s and early 90’s, IBM’s Application Development Cycle (AD/Cycle) framework and DB2
IBM DB2
The IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is a relational model database server developed by IBM. It primarily runs on Unix , Linux, IBM i , z/OS and Windows servers. DB2 also powers the different IBM InfoSphere Warehouse editions...
repository (RM/MVS) were based on the ER model. Other vendors’ repository systems such as Digital’s CDD+ were also based on the ER model. Chen has had a significant impact on the CASE industry through his research and his lecturing around the world on structured system development methodologies. The ER model has influenced most of the major CASE tools, including Computer Associates’ ERWIN, Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
’s Designer/2000, and Sybase
Sybase
Sybase, an SAP company, is an enterprise software and services company offering software to manage, analyze, and mobilize information, using relational databases, analytics and data warehousing solutions and mobile applications development platforms....
’s PowerDesigner
PowerDesigner
PowerDesigner is a collaborative enterprise modelling tool produced by Sybase. PowerDesigner runs under Microsoft Windows as a native application, and runs under Eclipse through a plugin. PowerDesigner supports model-driven architecture software design. PowerDesigner uses the .pdm file...
(and even a general drawing tool like Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio , formerly known as Microsoft Office Visio, is a commercial diagramming program for Microsoft Windows that uses vector graphics to create diagrams.- Features :...
), as well as the IDEF1X
IDEF1X
IDEF1X is a data modeling language for the developing of semantic data models. IDEF1X is used to produce a graphical information model which represents the structure and semantics of information within an environment or system.IDEF1X permits the construction of semantic data models which may serve...
standard.
The hypertext
Hypertext
Hypertext is text displayed on a computer or other electronic device with references to other text that the reader can immediately access, usually by a mouse click or keypress sequence. Apart from running text, hypertext may contain tables, images and other presentational devices. Hypertext is the...
concept, which makes the World Wide Web extremely popular, is very similar to the main concept in the ER model. Dr. Chen is currently investigating this linkage as an invited expert of several XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
working groups of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The ER model also serves as the foundation of some of the recent work on Object-oriented analysis and design methodologies and Semantic Web
Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
. The UML
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
modeling language has its roots in the ER model.
Publications
Peter P. Chen published several books, papers and articles. Books, a selection:- 2007. Active Conceptual Modeling of Learning: Next Generation Learning-Base System Development. With Leah Y. Wong (Eds.). Springer.
- 1999. Advances in Conceptual Modeling: ER'99 Workshops on Evolution and Change in Data Management, Reverse Engineering in Information Systems, and the World ... (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). With David W. Embley, Jacques Kouloumdjian, Stephen W. Liddle and John F. Roddick (Eds.) Springer Verlag.
- 1999. Conceptual Modeling: Current Issues and Future Directions (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) With Jacky Akoka, Hannu Kangassalu, and Bernhard Thalheim.
- 1985. Data & Knowledge Engineering, Volume 1, Number 1, 1985.
- 1981. Entity Relationship Approach to Information Modeling and Analysis.
- 1980. Entity relationship approach to systems analysis and design. North-Holland.
Articles, a selection:
- 1976. "The Entity-Relationship Model--Toward a Unified View of Data". In: ACM Transactions on Database Systems 1/1/1976 ACM-Press ISSN 0362-5915, S. 9–36
- 2002. "Entity-Relationship Modeling--Historical Events, Future Trends, and Lessons Learned". In: Software Pioneers: Contributions to Software Engineering. Broy M. and Denert, E. (eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Lecturing Notes in Computer Sciences, June 2002, pp. 100-114.