Disclosed are embodiments for generating metadata files for composite datasets. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising generating a tree representing a plurality of datasets; parsing the tree into an algebraic representation of the tree; identifying a plurality of terms in the algebraic representation, each term in the terms comprising at least two factors, each of the two factors associated with a dataset in the plurality of datasets; generating a metadata object of the plurality of terms; serializing the metadata object to generate serialized terms; and storing the serialized terms in a metadata file associated with the plurality of datasets.