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Superkey
In the relational data model a superkey is any 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, since no subset of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Relational Model
The relational model (RM) is an approach to managing data using a structure and language consistent with first-order predicate logic, first described in 1969 by English computer scientist Edgar F. Codd, where all data are represented in terms of tuples, grouped into relations. A database organized in terms of the relational model is a relational database. The purpose of the relational model is to provide a declarative method for specifying data and queries: users directly state what information the database contains and what information they want from it, and let the database management system software take care of describing data structures for storing the data and retrieval procedures for answering queries. Most relational databases use the SQL data definition and query language; these systems implement what can be regarded as an engineering approximation to the relational model. A '' table'' in a SQL database schema corresponds to a predicate variable; the contents of a tab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candidate Key
A candidate key, or simply a key, of a relational database is any set of columns that have a unique combination of values in each row, with the additional constraint that removing any column could produce duplicate combinations of values. A candidate key is a minimal superkey, i.e., a superkey that does not contain a smaller one. Therefore, a relation can have multiple candidate keys, each with a different number of attributes. 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 is not minimal, some subset of that will be minimal. There is a functional dependency from the candidate key to all the attributes in the relatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Functional Dependency
In relational database theory, a functional dependency is the following constraint between two attribute sets in a relation: Given a relation ''R'' and attribute sets ''X'',''Y'' \subseteq ''R'', ''X'' is said to functionally determine ''Y'' (written ''X'' → ''Y'') if each ''X'' value is associated with precisely one ''Y'' value. ''R'' is then said to satisfy the functional dependency ''X'' → ''Y''. Equivalently, the projection \Pi_R is a function, that is, ''Y'' is a function of ''X''. In simple words, if the values for the ''X'' attributes are known (say they are ''x''), then the values for the ''Y'' attributes corresponding to ''x'' can be determined by looking them up in ''any'' tuple of ''R'' containing ''x''. Customarily ''X'' is called the ''determinant'' set and ''Y'' the ''dependent'' set. A functional dependency FD: ''X'' → ''Y'' is called ''trivial'' if ''Y'' is a subset of ''X''. In other words, a dependency FD: ''X'' → ''Y'' means that the values of ''Y'' ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alternate Key
In the relational model of databases, a primary key is a designated attribute (column) that can reliably identify and distinguish between each individual record in a table. The database creator can choose an existing unique attribute or combination of attributes from the table (a natural key) to act as its primary key, or create a new attribute containing a unique ID that exists solely for this purpose (a surrogate key). Examples of natural keys that could be suitable primary keys include data that is already by definition unique to all items in the table such as a national identification number attribute for person records, or the combination of a very precise timestamp attribute with a very precise location attribute for event records. More formally, a primary key is a specific choice of a minimal set of attributes that uniquely specify a tuple ( row) in a relation (table). A primary key is a choice of a candidate key (a minimal superkey); any other candidate key is an alter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Primary Key
In the relational model of databases, a primary key is a designated attribute (column) that can reliably identify and distinguish between each individual record in a table. The database creator can choose an existing unique attribute or combination of attributes from the table (a natural key) to act as its primary key, or create a new attribute containing a unique ID that exists solely for this purpose (a surrogate key). Examples of natural keys that could be suitable primary keys include data that is already by definition unique to all items in the table such as a national identification number attribute for person records, or the combination of a very precise timestamp attribute with a very precise location attribute for event records. More formally, a primary key is a specific choice of a minimal set of attributes that uniquely specify a tuple ( row) in a relation (table). A primary key is a choice of a candidate key (a minimal superkey); any other candidate key is an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Set (mathematics)
In mathematics, a set is a collection of different things; the things are '' elements'' or ''members'' of the set and are typically mathematical objects: numbers, symbols, points in space, lines, other geometric shapes, variables, or other sets. A set may be finite or infinite. There is a unique set with no elements, called the empty set; a set with a single element is a singleton. Sets are ubiquitous in modern mathematics. Indeed, set theory, more specifically Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory, has been the standard way to provide rigorous foundations for all branches of mathematics since the first half of the 20th century. Context Before the end of the 19th century, sets were not studied specifically, and were not clearly distinguished from sequences. Most mathematicians considered infinity as potentialmeaning that it is the result of an endless processand were reluctant to consider infinite sets, that is sets whose number of members is not a natural number. Specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tuple
In mathematics, a tuple is a finite sequence or ''ordered list'' of numbers or, more generally, mathematical objects, which are called the ''elements'' of the tuple. An -tuple is a tuple of elements, where is a non-negative integer. There is only one 0-tuple, called the ''empty tuple''. A 1-tuple and a 2-tuple are commonly called a singleton and an ordered pair, respectively. The term ''"infinite tuple"'' is occasionally used for ''"infinite sequences"''. Tuples are usually written by listing the elements within parentheses "" and separated by commas; for example, denotes a 5-tuple. Other types of brackets are sometimes used, although they may have a different meaning. An -tuple can be formally defined as the image of a function that has the set of the first natural numbers as its domain. Tuples may be also defined from ordered pairs by a recurrence starting from an ordered pair; indeed, an -tuple can be identified with the ordered pair of its first elements and its t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Relation (database)
In database theory, a relation, as originally defined by E. F. Codd, is a set of tuples (d1,d2,...,dn), where each element dj is a member of Dj, a data domain. Codd's original definition notwithstanding, and contrary to the usual definition in mathematics, there is no ordering to the elements of the tuples of a relation. Instead, each element is termed an attribute value. An attribute is a name paired with a domain (nowadays more commonly referred to as a type or data type). An attribute value is an attribute name paired with an element of that attribute's domain, and a tuple is a ''set'' of attribute values in which no two distinct elements have the same name. Thus, in some accounts, a tuple is described as a function, mapping names to values. A set of attributes in which no two distinct elements have the same name is called a heading. It follows from the above definitions that to every tuple there corresponds a unique heading, being the set of names from the tuple, paired wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Projection (relational Algebra)
In relational algebra, a projection is a unary operation written as \Pi_( R ), where R is a relation and a_1,...,a_n are attribute names. Its result is defined as the set obtained when the components of the tuples in R are restricted to the set \ – it ''discards'' (or ''excludes'') the other attributes. In practical terms, if a relation is thought of as a table, then projection can be thought of as picking a subset of its columns. For example, if the attributes are (name, age), then projection of the relation onto attribute list (age) yields – we have discarded the names, and only know what ages are present. Projections may also modify attribute values. For example, if R has attributes a, b, c, where the values of b are numbers, then \Pi_( R ) is like R, but with all b-values halved.http://www.csee.umbc.edu/~pmundur/courses/CMSC661-02/rel-alg.pdf ''See Problem 3.8.B on page 3'' Related concepts The closely related concept in set theory (see: projection (set theory)) di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardinality (data Modeling)
Within data modelling, cardinality is the numerical relationship between rows of one table and rows in another. Common cardinalities include ''one-to-one'', ''one-to-many'', and ''many-to-many''. Cardinality can be used to define data models as well as analyze entities within datasets. Relationships For example, consider a database of electronic health records. Such a database could contain tables like the following: * A doctor table with information about physicians. * A patient table for medical subjects undergoing treatment. * An appointment table with an entry for each hospital visit. Natural relationships exist between these entities: * A many-to-many relationship between records in doctor and records in patient because doctors have many patients and patients can see many doctors. * A one-to-many relationship between records in patient and records in appointment because patients can have many appointments and each appointment involves only one patient. * A one-to-one rela ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Compound Key
In database design, a composite key is a candidate key that consists of two or more attributes, (table columns) that together uniquely identify an entity occurrence (table row). A compound key is a composite key for which each attribute that makes up the key is a foreign key in its own right. Advantages Composite keys have advantages similar to that of a natural key as it is often composed of multiple natural key attributes. Storage Composite keys use less disk space as compared to defining a surrogate key column, this is because the composite key already exists as attributes in the table and does not need to be defined in the table just for the purpose of unique identification. This simplifies the table and also saves space. Easier to implement and use Composite keys are easy to implement in a database schema as their component parts are already named items in the database. When they are also natural keys, they are often intuitive for real world scenarios. They are oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
