Procedure for solving the data-editing problem with both continuous and discrete data types

Abstract

A major problem encountered when analyzing data is the presence of errors in the data base. As it is generally expensive and sometimes impossible to go back to the original source of the data, several methods have been suggested for correcting errors in the data base. This article is concerned with a method of correcting data errors by identifying the minimum number of fields that would need to be changed in order that the data record satisfy a set of consistency relationships called edits. In the literature of data editing, most of the work is separated by the data type, i.e., discrete data or continuous data. Little work has been done in the area where there is both continuous and discrete data and interactions between the two types of data. In this article a general mixed integer programming formulation will be suggested for this area of both continuous and discrete data.