Generalized partition pruning in a database system

A method for executing a query on data in a database that has been partitioned into a plurality of partitions and is accessible by a partitioned index, the method comprising:

• providing partitioned data including one or more columns and the plurality of partitions, the partitioned data including a pre-determined limit key distribution providing limit key values associated with each column for a given partition within the partitioned index:
• receiving a query including a predicate on one of the one or more columns of the partitioned data;
• utilizing the predicate on the one of the one or more columns in a pruning decision on at least one of the one or more partitions in relation to the predetermined limit key distribution associated with the plurality of partitions;
• providing a capability to infer a pseudo-partition into the partitioned index having limit key values in relation to one or more pre-determined conditions by introducing a removable partition subset;
• inferring a pseudo-partition by introducing a removable partition subset having one or more limit key values based on the predicate;
• and generating a bounded range for column values in a given partition based on the limit key values of the inferred pseudo-partition using the introduced partition subset.