# Graph Pattern Matching in GQL and SQL/PGQ

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.06217 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.06217/

## Key facts

- Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 12 Dec 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [Construction of Knowledge Graphs: State and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.11509/) (2023)
- [GraphRAFT: Retrieval Augmented Fine-Tuning for Knowledge Graphs on Graph Databases](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.05478/) (2025)
- [Knowledge Graphs Querying](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14485/) (2023)
- [Graph Neural Networks on Graph Databases](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.11375/) (2024)
- [IRSKG: Unified Intrusion Response System Knowledge Graph Ontology for Cyber Defense](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.15672/) (2024)
- [AkasicDB: Demonstrating Omni RAG with a Unified Vector-Graph-Relational DBMS](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.09214/) (2026)
- [Integrating connection search in graph queries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.04802/) (2022)
- [The Equivalence Theorem: First-Class Relationships for Structurally Complete Database Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.13603/) (2026)
- [A General Sufficient Condition for Rewriting Horn-ALCHI Atomic Queries into GQL](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.04945/) (2026)
- [Hidden relationships in a document-derived property graph: top-k chunk embeddings and inverse-distance weighting over a dynamically evolving ontology](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.00387/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

As graph databases become widespread, JTC1 -- the committee in joint charge of information technology standards for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) -- has approved a project to create GQL, a standard property graph query language. This complements a project to extend SQL with a new part, SQL/PGQ, which specifies how to define graph views over an SQL tabular schema, and to run read-only queries against them. Both projects have been assigned to the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 working group for Database Languages, WG3, which continues to maintain and enhance SQL as a whole. This common responsibility helps enforce a policy that the identical core of both PGQ and GQL is a graph pattern matching sub-language, here termed GPML. The WG3 design process is also analyzed by an academic working group, part of the Linked Data Benchmark Council (LDBC), whose task is to produce a formal semantics of these graph data languages, which complements their standard specifications. This paper, written by members of WG3 and LDBC, presents the key elements of the GPML of SQL/PGQ and GQL in advance of the publication of these new standards.