A calculation engine of a database management system is described. In some implementations, the calculation engine receives a calculation scenario including a plurality of join operations defining an intersection between at least two nodes. The calculation engine optimizes a first join which is of a certain cardinality, and for which no attributes are requested, other than a join attribute. The optimization includes determining whether a static filter is present for a first node or a second node of the first join, and pruning the first node and/or the second node from the hierarchical join when the attribute is not requested from the first node or the second node and/or when the static filter is not present for the first node or the second node. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.