Comparing Flexible Skylines And Top-k Queries: Which Is the Best Alternative?

TL;DR

This paper compares flexible skylines and top-k queries, two approaches in data science for retrieving optimal data results, highlighting their differences and similarities to guide better method selection.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison between flexible skylines and top-k queries, clarifying their respective advantages and limitations.

Findings

Flexible skylines offer more adaptable result sets.

Top-k queries are faster for certain applications.

The survey clarifies when to use each approach.

Abstract

The question of how to get the best results out of the data we have is an everlasting problem in data science. The two main approaches to tackle the problem are top-k queries and skyline queries. Since their introduction, a new paradigm called flexible skylines has emerged. The aim of this survey is to provide a solid comparison between the new and the old approaches, understanding and exploring their differences and similarities.