Module: Design theory for relational databases

Introduction to normal forms.

Learning Outcomes

Understand Data Normalization

You understand functional dependencies and their relationship to keys
You understand BCNF and 3NF
You can find keys given a set of functional dependencies
You can identify tables that are not normalized
You can decompose unnormalized tables into BCNF and/or 3NF compliant tables.

Readings

Chapter 3: Design theory for relational databases

Normal forms

60 pages

Design theory for relational databases

Functional Dependencies

Lecture Notes

Design theory for relational databases (Part 2)

Normal forms 1

Lecture Notes

Design theory for relational databases (Part 3)

Normal forms 2

Lecture Notes

Experiential Learning

Exercise 11

Finding Keys using Armstrong’s axioms.

Exercise 12

Identifying Normal Forms.

Exercise 13

Identifying Lossless-join & Dependency-preserving Decomposition