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| To: | pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org |
| Cc: | 2320415112(at)qq(dot)com |
| Subject: | BUG #19568: Redundant outer DISTINCT adds Sort and Unique above INTERSECT |
| Date: | 2026-07-22 06:51:33 |
| Message-ID: | 19568-cc05e88af2b80bd1@postgresql.org |
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| Lists: | pgsql-bugs |
The following bug has been logged on the website:
Bug reference: 19568
Logged by: cl hl
Email address: 2320415112(at)qq(dot)com
PostgreSQL version: 17.10
Operating system: Linux LAPTOP-2SQAVLB0 6.6.87.2-microsoft
Description:
## Description
This issue concerns an outer `DISTINCT` applied to an `INTERSECT` result.
Since non-`ALL` `INTERSECT` already returns duplicate-free rows, the outer
operation cannot change the result. PostgreSQL nevertheless performs a
second deduplication.
### Expected Behaviour
PostgreSQL should propagate the uniqueness guarantee from `INTERSECT` and
remove the outer `DISTINCT`. Both equivalent forms should use the same plan
and have comparable execution times.
### Actual Behaviour
The outer `DISTINCT` adds `Sort -> Unique` above `HashSetOp Intersect`. With
two 500,000-row inputs and 250,000 result rows, five-run median execution
time increased from 176.081 ms to 191.225 ms, approximately 8.6%.
## How to repeat
```sql
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS intersect_distinct_lhs;
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS intersect_distinct_rhs;
CREATE TABLE intersect_distinct_lhs (v INTEGER NOT NULL);
CREATE TABLE intersect_distinct_rhs (v INTEGER NOT NULL);
INSERT INTO intersect_distinct_lhs
SELECT g FROM generate_series(1, 500000) AS g;
INSERT INTO intersect_distinct_rhs
SELECT g FROM generate_series(250001, 750000) AS g;
ANALYZE intersect_distinct_lhs;
ANALYZE intersect_distinct_rhs;
EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, VERBOSE, SETTINGS, TIMING OFF)
SELECT DISTINCT v
FROM (
SELECT v FROM intersect_distinct_lhs
INTERSECT
SELECT v FROM intersect_distinct_rhs
) AS set_result;
EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, VERBOSE, SETTINGS, TIMING OFF)
SELECT v
FROM (
SELECT v FROM intersect_distinct_lhs
INTERSECT
SELECT v FROM intersect_distinct_rhs
) AS set_result;
```
Both queries return the same 250,000 rows. The characteristic plans are:
```text
with DISTINCT: Unique -> Sort -> HashSetOp Intersect
without: HashSetOp Intersect
```
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