Question:

Consider the visualization of a 3-dimensional data cube showing sales quantity for each combination of the attributes Product-type, Month \& Country. From this, if we want to further visualize the sale quantity for each combination of PT, M \& S, which of the following OLAP operator should be performed?

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Remember the directions of OLAP operations: f{Drill-down} = More detail (e.g., Year $\rightarrow$ Quarter $\rightarrow$ Month). f{Roll-up} = Less detail / Summarization (e.g., City $\rightarrow$ State $\rightarrow$ Country). f{Slice} = Select one value for one dimension (like cutting a slice of bread). f{Dice} = Select a range of values for multiple dimensions (like cutting a small cube out of a bigger one).
Updated On: Feb 23, 2026
  • Slicing
  • Roll-up
  • Dicing
  • Drill-down
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question describes a scenario involving an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) data cube with dimensions Product-type (PT), Month (M), and Country. We are currently viewing data at this level of aggregation.
We want to move to a view that includes PT, M, and 'S'. The term "further visualize" implies going into more detail.
It is reasonable to assume 'S' represents a more granular level of one of the existing dimensions, for example, 'State' or 'Store' within a 'Country'.
Step 2: Key OLAP Operations:
- Drill-down: Navigating from less detailed data to more detailed data. This can be done by moving down a concept hierarchy (e.g., from Country to State) or by adding a new dimension.
- Roll-up (or Drill-up): The opposite of drill-down. It involves aggregating data to a higher, more summarized level (e.g., from State to Country).
- Slice: Selecting a single value for one dimension to get a view of a smaller, lower-dimensional cube (e.g., setting Month = 'January').
- Dice: Selecting a specific range of values for two or more dimensions to view a sub-cube (e.g., Month = 'Jan' or 'Feb' AND Country = 'USA' or 'Canada').
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
We are starting at the level of (Product-type, Month, Country). We want to "further visualize" the data at a level that includes 'S'. Assuming 'S' is a more detailed attribute like 'State' which is a level below 'Country', we are increasing the level of detail or "drilling down" into the Country dimension. For instance, we are moving from viewing sales for 'USA' to viewing sales for 'California', 'Texas', etc. (all states 'S' within USA). This action of moving from a summarized view to a more detailed view is precisely the definition of the Drill-down operation.
Step 4: Final Answer:
To move from a higher-level view (Country) to a more detailed view (like State, represented by S), the correct OLAP operator is Drill-down.
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