Relational Database Design

The goal of relational database design is to generate a set of schemas that allow us to

• Store information without unnecessary redundancy.
• Retrieve information easily (and accurately).

• Pitfalls in Relational DB Design
  • Representation of Information
• Decomposition
• Normalization Using Functional Dependencies
  • Desirable Properties of Decomposition
    • Lossless-Join Decomposition
    • Dependency Preservation
    • Repetition of Information
  • Boyce-Codd Normal Form
  • Third Normal Form
  • Comparison of BCNF and 3NF
• Normalization Using Multivalued Dependencies (not to be covered)
  • Multivalued Dependencies
  • Theory of Multivalued Dependencies
  • Fourth Normal Form (4NF)
• Normalization Using Join Dependencies (not to be covered)
• Domain-Key Normal Form (not to be covered)
• Alternative Approaches to Database Design (not to be covered)