Mettu University

Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Department of Computer Science

CoSc 2071 – Fundamental of data base system

Sultan Jenbo
email: sultanmettu@gmail.com
 Functional Dependency
 Data Dependency
 Two data items A and B are said to be in a determinant or dependent
relationship if certain values of data item B always appears with
certain values of data item A.
 The essence of this idea is that if the existence of something, call it A,
implies that B must exist and have a certain value, then we say that
“B is functionally dependent on A.“
 Functional dependency(FD): is a set of constraints between two
attributes in a relation. Functional dependency says that if two tuples
have same values for attributes A1, A2,..., An, then those two tuples must
have to have same values for attributes B1, B2, ..., Bn.
 In general, a functional dependency is a relationship among attributes. In
relational databases, we can have a determinant that governs one other
attribute or several other attributes.
 Functional dependency is represented by an arrow sign → that is, X→Y,
where X functionally determines Y. The left-hand side attributes
determine the values of attributes on the right-hand side.
 X  Y holds if two tuples have the same value for X, they must have the
same value for Y .
 AB is read as; B is functionally dependent on A
 We also often express this idea by saying that
 "A determines B," or that
 "B is a function of A," or that
 "A functionally governs B.“
 Example

 Dinner Type of wine

 Meat Red
 Fish White
 Cheese Rose

 Since the type of Wine served depends on the type of Dinner, we

say Wine is functionally dependent on Dinner.
 Dinner  Wine
 TYPES OF FUNCTIONAL DEPENDENCY

 Partial Dependency
 If an attribute which is not a member of the primary key is dependent on some
part of the primary key (if we have composite primary key) then that attribute
is partially functionally dependent on the primary key.
 Let {A, B} is the Primary Key and C is no key attribute.

 Then if {A, B}C and BC or AC

 Then C is partially functionally dependent on {A, B}
 Full Dependency
 If an attribute which is not a member of the primary key is not dependent
on some part of the primary key but the whole key (if we have
composite primary key) then that attribute is fully functionally
dependent on the primary key.
 Let {A, B} is the Primary Key and C is no key attribute
 Then if {A, B}C and BC and AC does not hold ( if B cannot
determine C and A cannot determine C).
 Then C Fully functionally dependent on {A,B}.
 Transitive Dependency.
 In mathematics and logic, a transitive relationship is a relationship
of the following form: "If A implies B, and if also B implies C,
then A implies C.“
 Example:
 If Mr. X is a Human, and if every Human is an Animal, then Mr.
X must be an Animal.
 Generalized way of describing transitive dependency is that:
 If A functionally governs B, AND
 If B functionally governs C
 THEN A functionally governs C
 Provided that neither C nor B determines A i.e. (B / A and C / A)

 In the normal notation:

 {(AB) AND (BC)}==> AC provided that B / A and C / A
Determines mean
Determines mean
 Normalization
 Database normalization is a series of steps followed to obtain a database
design that allows for consistent storage and efficient access of data in a
relational database. These steps reduce data redundancy and the risk of data
becoming inconsistent.
 It is the process of identifying the logical associations between data items and
designing a database that will represent such associations but without suffering
the update anomalies which are;
 Insertion Anomaly – adding new rows forces user to create duplicate data
 Deletion Anomaly – deleting a row may cause loss of other data representing
completely different facts
 Modification Anomaly – changing data in a row forces changes to other
rows because of duplication
 Steps of Normalization

 We have various levels or steps in normalization called Normal

Forms.

 A table in a relational database is said to be in a certain normal

form if it satisfies certain constraints.
 Normalization towards a logical design consists of the following steps:
 Un-Normalized Form:
 Identify all data elements
 First Normal Form:
 Find the key with which you can find all data
 Second Normal Form:
 Remove partial dependencies.
 Make all data dependent on the whole key.
 Third Normal Form
 Remove non-key dependencies.
 Make all data dependent on nothing but the key.
 For most practical purposes, databases are considered normalized if they adhere
to third normal form.
 First Normal Form (1NF)
 Requires that all column values in a table are atomic (e.g., a number
is an atomic value, while a list or a set is not).
 We have two ways of achieving this:
 Putting each repeating group into a separate table and connecting them with a
primary key-foreign key relationship
 Moving this repeating group to a new row by repeating the common attributes.
 If so then Find the key with which you can find all data.
Definition: a table (relation) is in 1NF

If
 There are no duplicated rows in the table. Unique identifier
 Each cell is single-valued (i.e., there are no repeating groups).
 Entries in a column (attribute, field) are of the same kind.
 Example for First Normal form (1NF )
Not normalized
IN FIRST NORMAL FORM (1NF)
 Remove all repeating groups.
 Distribute the multi-valued attributes into different rows and
identify a unique identifier for the relation so that is can be said is
a relation in relational database.
 Second Normal form 2NF
 No partial dependency of a non-key attribute on part of the primary key.
 A relation schema R is in 2NF if every nonprime attribute A in R is fully
functionally dependent on the primary key of R.
 This will result in a set of relations with a level of Second Normal Form.
 Any table that is in 1NF and has a single-attribute (i.e., a non-composite)
primary key is automatically in 2NF.
 Definition: a table (relation) is in 2NF
If
 It is in 1NF and
 If all non-key attributes are dependent on the entire primary key.
i.e. no partial dependency.
 Example for 2NF:

 This schema is in its 1NF since we don’t have any repeating groups or
attributes with multi-valued property.
 To convert it to a 2NF we need to remove all partial dependencies of non
key attributes on part of the primary key.
 {EmpID, ProjNo}EmpName, ProjName, ProjLoc, ProjFund,
ProjMangID, Incentive
 But in addition to this we have the following dependencies
 FD1: {EmpID}EmpName
 FD2: {ProjNo}ProjName, ProjLoc, ProjFund, ProjMangID
 FD3: {EmpID, ProjNo}Incentive
 Third Normal Form (3NF)
 Eliminate columns dependent on another non-Primary Key.
 If attributes do not contribute to a description of the key, remove
them to a separate table.
 This level avoids update and delete anomalies.
 Definition: a Table (Relation) is in 3NF
If
 It is in 2NF and
 There are no transitive dependencies between a primary key and non-
primary key attributes.
 Example for (3NF)
 Assumption: Students of same batch live in one building or dormitory
 This schema is in its 2NF since the primary key is a single attribute.
 Let’s take StudID, Year and Dormitary and see the dependencies.
 StudIDYear AND YearDormitary
 And Year cannot determine StudID and Dormitary can not determine StudID
 Then transitively StudIDDormitary
 To convert it to a 3NF we need to remove all transitive dependencies of non key
attributes on another non-key attribute.
 The non-primary key attributes, dependent on each other will be moved to another
table and linked with the main table using Candidate Key-Foreign Key
relationship.
 Generally, even though there are other four additional levels of
normalization, a table is said to be normalized if it reaches 3NF.

 A database with all tables in the 3NF is said to be normalized database.

 NB: to remember the rationale for normalization up to 3NF:

 No repeating or redundancy fields in the table.

 The fields depend upon the key: the table should solely depend on the key.
 The whole key: no partial key dependency.

 And nothing but the key: no inter data dependency.

 Graphical illustration of different phases of normalization
Additional example for Normal form

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