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Fourth Normal Form
Fourth normal form (4NF) is a normal form used in database normalization. Introduced by Ronald Fagin in 1977, 4NF is the next level of normalization after Boyce–Codd normal form (BCNF). Whereas the second, third, and Boyce–Codd normal forms are concerned with functional dependencies, 4NF is concerned with a more general type of dependency known as a multivalued dependency. A table is in 4NF if and only if, for every one of its non-trivial multivalued dependencies ''X'' \twoheadrightarrow ''Y'', ''X'' is a superkey—that is, ''X'' is either a candidate key or a superset thereof."A relation schema R* is in fourth normal form (4NF) if, whenever a nontrivial multivalued dependency X \twoheadrightarrow Y holds for R*, then so does the functional dependency X → A for every column name A of R*. Intuitively all dependencies are the result of keys." Multivalued dependencies If the column headings in a relational database table are divided into three disjoint groupings ''X'', ''Y'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Database Normalization
Database normalization or database normalisation (see spelling differences) is the process of structuring a relational database in accordance with a series of so-called normal forms in order to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. It was first proposed by British computer scientist Edgar F. Codd as part of his relational model. Normalization entails organizing the columns (attributes) and tables (relations) of a database to ensure that their dependencies are properly enforced by database integrity constraints. It is accomplished by applying some formal rules either by a process of ''synthesis'' (creating a new database design) or ''decomposition'' (improving an existing database design). Objectives A basic objective of the first normal form defined by Codd in 1970 was to permit data to be queried and manipulated using a "universal data sub-language" grounded in first-order logic. An example of such a language is SQL, though it is one that Codd regarded as seriou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Superkey
In the relational data model a superkey is a set of attributes that uniquely identifies each tuple of a relation. Because superkey values are unique, tuples with the same superkey value must also have the same non-key attribute values. That is, non-key attributes are '' functionally dependent'' on the superkey. The set of all attributes is always a superkey (the ''trivial superkey''). Tuples in a relation are by definition unique, with duplicates removed after each operation, so the set of all attributes is always uniquely valued for every tuple. A '' candidate key'' (or ''minimal superkey'') is a superkey that can't be reduced to a simpler superkey by removing an attribute. For example, in an employee schema with attributes employeeID, name, job, and departmentID, if employeeID values are unique then employeeID combined with any or all of the other attributes can uniquely identify tuples in the table. Each combination, , , , and so on is a superkey. is a candidate key--no subs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Injective Function
In mathematics, an injective function (also known as injection, or one-to-one function) is a function that maps distinct elements of its domain to distinct elements; that is, implies . (Equivalently, implies in the equivalent contrapositive statement.) In other words, every element of the function's codomain is the image of one element of its domain. The term must not be confused with that refers to bijective functions, which are functions such that each element in the codomain is an image of exactly one element in the domain. A homomorphism between algebraic structures is a function that is compatible with the operations of the structures. For all common algebraic structures, and, in particular for vector spaces, an is also called a . However, in the more general context of category theory, the definition of a monomorphism differs from that of an injective homomorphism. This is thus a theorem that they are equivalent for algebraic structures; see for more details. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fifth Normal Form
Fifth normal form (5NF), also known as projection–join normal form (PJ/NF), is a level of database normalization designed to remove redundancy in relational databases recording multi-valued facts by isolating semantically related multiple relationships. A table is said to be in the 5NF if and only if every non-trivial join dependency in that table is implied by the candidate keys. It is the final normal form as far as removing redundancy is concerned. A 6NF also exists, but its purpose is not to remove redundancy and it is therefore only adopted by a few data warehouses, where it can be useful to make tables irreducible. A join dependency * on R is implied by the candidate key(s) of R if and only if each of A, B, …, Z is a superkey for R. The fifth normal form was first described by Ronald Fagin in his 1979 conference paper ''Normal forms and relational database operators''. Example Consider the following example: The table's predicate is: products of the type designated b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Multivalued Dependency
In database theory, a multivalued dependency is a full constraint between two sets of attributes in a relation. In contrast to the functional dependency, the multivalued dependency requires that certain tuples be present in a relation. Therefore, a multivalued dependency is a special case of ''tuple-generating dependency''. The multivalued dependency plays a role in the 4NF database normalization. A multivalued dependency is a special case of a join dependency, with only two sets of values involved, i.e. it is a binary join dependency. A multivalued dependency exists when there are at least three attributes (like X,Y and Z) in a relation and for a value of X there is a well defined set of values of Y and a well defined set of values of Z. However, the set of values of Y is independent of set Z and vice versa. Formal definition The formal definition is as follows: Let R be a relation and let \alpha \subseteq R and \beta \subseteq R be sets of attributes. The multivalued depend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Data Redundancy
In computer main memory, auxiliary storage and computer buses, data redundancy is the existence of data that is additional to the actual data and permits correction of errors in stored or transmitted data. The additional data can simply be a complete copy of the actual data (a type of repetition code), or only select pieces of data that allow detection of errors and reconstruction of lost or damaged data up to a certain level. For example, by including additional data checksums, ECC memory is capable of detecting and correcting single-bit errors within each memory word, while RAID 1 combines two hard disk drives (HDDs) into a logical storage unit that allows stored data to survive a complete failure of one drive. Data redundancy can also be used as a measure against silent data corruption; for example, file systems such as Btrfs and ZFS use data and metadata checksumming in combination with copies of stored data to detect silent data corruption and repair its effects. In d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candidate Key
A candidate key, or simply a key, of a relational database is a minimal superkey. In other words, it is any set of columns that have a unique combination of values in each row (which makes it a superkey), with the additional constraint that removing any column would possibly produce duplicate rows (which makes it a minimal superkey). Specific candidate keys are sometimes called primary keys, secondary keys or alternate keys. The columns in a candidate key are called prime attributes, and a column that does not occur in any candidate key is called a non-prime attribute. Every relation without NULL values will have at least one candidate key: Since there cannot be duplicate rows, the set of all columns is a superkey, and if that isn't minimal, some subset of that will be minimal. There is a functional dependency from the candidate key to all the attributes in the relation. The candidate keys of a relation are all the possible ways we can identify a row. As such, they are an impo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
If And Only If
In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (shortened as "iff") is a biconditional logical connective between statements, where either both statements are true or both are false. The connective is biconditional (a statement of material equivalence), and can be likened to the standard material conditional ("only if", equal to "if ... then") combined with its reverse ("if"); hence the name. The result is that the truth of either one of the connected statements requires the truth of the other (i.e. either both statements are true, or both are false), though it is controversial whether the connective thus defined is properly rendered by the English "if and only if"—with its pre-existing meaning. For example, ''P if and only if Q'' means that ''P'' is true whenever ''Q'' is true, and the only case in which ''P'' is true is if ''Q'' is also true, whereas in the case of ''P if Q'', there could be other scenarios where ''P'' is true and ''Q'' is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Database Normalization
Database normalization or database normalisation (see spelling differences) is the process of structuring a relational database in accordance with a series of so-called normal forms in order to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. It was first proposed by British computer scientist Edgar F. Codd as part of his relational model. Normalization entails organizing the columns (attributes) and tables (relations) of a database to ensure that their dependencies are properly enforced by database integrity constraints. It is accomplished by applying some formal rules either by a process of ''synthesis'' (creating a new database design) or ''decomposition'' (improving an existing database design). Objectives A basic objective of the first normal form defined by Codd in 1970 was to permit data to be queried and manipulated using a "universal data sub-language" grounded in first-order logic. An example of such a language is SQL, though it is one that Codd regarded as seriou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Table (database)
A table is a collection of related data held in a table format within a database. It consists of columns and rows. In relational databases, and flat file databases, a ''table'' is a set of data elements (values) using a model of vertical columns (identifiable by name) and horizontal rows, the cell being the unit where a row and column intersect. A table has a specified number of columns, but can have any number of rows. Each row is identified by one or more values appearing in a particular column subset. A specific choice of columns which uniquely identify rows is called the primary key. "Table" is another term for "relation"; although there is the difference in that a table is usually a multiset (bag) of rows where a relation is a set and does not allow duplicates. Besides the actual data rows, tables generally have associated with them some metadata, such as constraints on the table or on the values within particular columns. The data in a table does not have to be physic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
