Decompose functional dependencies
1. Identify Functional Dependencies:
Before you can decompose a relation, you need to identify
the functional dependencies present in the original relation.
Functional dependencies describe how attributes (columns)
depend on other attributes. For example, if attribute A
determines attribute B (A → B), then B is functionally
dependent on A.
2. Apply Normalization Rules:
Normalization is a process that involves breaking down a
relation into smaller relations while adhering to specific
normal forms. The primary normal forms are 1NF, 2NF, and
3NF. Each normal form has rules that guide the
decomposition process:
1NF (First Normal Form): Ensure that each attribute
contains only atomic (indivisible) values. If an attribute
contains multi-valued or nested data, you need to
decompose it into separate attributes or relations.
2NF (Second Normal Form): Ensure that each non-key
attribute is fully functionally dependent on the entire primary
key. If an attribute depends only on part of the primary key,
consider breaking it into a separate relation.
3NF (Third Normal Form): Ensure that each non-key
attribute is non-transitively dependent on the primary key. If
a non-key attribute depends on another non-key attribute,
consider creating a new relation to represent the dependent
attribute.
3. Decomposition Strategies:
Decomposing a relation involves dividing it into smaller
relations. There are two key strategies:
Lossless Join Decomposition: The goal is to break the
relation into smaller relations in such a way that you can
join them back together using natural joins without losing
data. This ensures that you can reconstruct the original
relation from the smaller relations.
Dependency-Preserving Decomposition: This strategy
focuses on maintaining the functional dependencies
present in the original relation. The decomposed relations
should still satisfy the same dependencies as the original
relation to ensure data integrity.
4. Creating New Relations:
Once you've determined how to decompose the original
relation, you create new relations (tables) to represent the
decomposed components. Each relation should correspond
to a specific entity, concept, or attribute group.
5. Linking Relations:
If your decomposition creates relations with foreign keys,
establish the necessary relationships between these
relations using foreign key constraints. This ensures
referential integrity and maintains the relationships between
entities.
6. Perform Join Operations:
When querying data, you'll likely need to perform join
operations to combine the decomposed relations and
retrieve meaningful information. Different types of joins
(e.g., natural join, equijoin) allow you to connect related
data from multiple relations.
7. Normalization Evaluation:
After decomposition, evaluate the resulting relations to
ensure that they meet the desired normal form and that the
functional dependencies are preserved. If needed, you can
iterate through the process again, further decomposing or
adjusting the relations to achieve the desired level of
normalization.
Remember that the goal of decomposition is to improve
data integrity, minimize redundancy, and enhance database
design. However, normalization should be balanced with
considerations for query performance and the overall
structure of the database.
