Chapter 1. A case for a Neo4j database
This chapter covers
- Use cases for Neo4j graph databases
- How Neo4j compares with more traditional relational databases
- Neo4j’s place in the larger NoSQL world
- Key characteristics of Neo4j
Computer science is closely related to mathematics, with a lot of its concepts originally coming from mathematical philosophy. Algorithms, cryptography, computation, automation, and even basic theories of mathematical logic and Boolean algebra are all mathematical concepts that closely couple these two disciplines. Another mathematical topic can often be found in computer science books and articles: graph theory. In computer science, graphs are used to represent specific data structures, such as organizational hierarchies, social networks, and processing flows. Typically, during the software design phase, the structures, flows, and algorithms are described with graph diagrams on a whiteboard. The object-oriented structure of the computer system is modeled as a graph as well, with inheritance, composition, and object members.
But although graphs are used extensively during the software development process, developers tend to forget about graphs when it comes to data persistence. We try to fit the data into relational tables and columns, and to normalize and renormalize its structure until it looks completely different from what it’s trying to represent.