Formalism for a multiresolution time series database model

•A multiresolution database stores time series lossy compressed by data summaries.•The multiresolution schema is customisable by aggregation and regularisation.•The model considers the time dimension and sampling irregularities of time series.•The formalism is based on set theory and is inspired by relational database theory.

We formalise a specialised database management system model for time series using a multiresolution approach. These special purpose database systems store time series lossy compressed in a space-bounded storage. Time series can be stored at multiple resolutions, using distinct attribute aggregations and keeping its temporal attribute managed in a consistent way.The model exhibits a generic approach that facilitates its customisation to suit better the actual application requirements in a given context. The elements, the meaning of which depends on a real application, are of generic nature.Furthermore, we consider some specific time series properties that are a challenge in the multiresolution approach. We also describe a reference implementation of the model and introduce a use case based on real data.