Functional Dependencies and Normalization Short Notes for GATE DA: Concepts, Formulas, Worked Examples & Practice

    Functional Dependencies and Normalization short notes for GATE DA: 3 study cards covering concepts, formulas, shortcuts and exam traps, plus solved practice questions.

    Summary: The FD and Key Cheat Sheet

    Final Cheat Sheet

    Functional Dependencies

    • : uniquely determines .
    • Trivial: .
    • Non-Trivial: .

    Attribute Closure ()

    • The set of all attributes determined by .
    • Algorithm: Start with , repeatedly add right-sides of FDs where the left-side is already in the set.

    Keys and Attributes

    • Super Key: .
    • Candidate Key: Minimal Super Key (no subset has a full closure).
    • Prime Attribute: Belongs to at least one Candidate Key.

    The Key-Finding Weapon

    • N, L: Must be in every key.
    • R: Never in any key.
    • LR: Test systematically to complete the key.

    Final Normalization Checklist

    Final Normalization Checklist

    • Find all candidate keys first. (Crucial for both 3NF and BCNF).
    • For 3NF: Ensure no non-prime attribute is transitively dependent on a key.
    • For BCNF: Ensure EVERY determinant is a superkey.
    • For Lossless Join: Ensure the intersection of decomposed relations is a superkey of at least one.
    • For Dependency Preservation: Ensure the union of projected closures equals the original closure.
    Golden Rule: 3NF guarantees both lossless and dependency-preserving. BCNF guarantees lossless, but maybe not dependency-preserving.

    Final Checklist for Armstrong Axioms

    Final Checklist for Armstrong Axioms

    • Core Axioms: Reflexivity, Augmentation, Transitivity.
    • Shortcuts: Union, Decomposition, Pseudotransitivity.
    • The Golden Tool: Attribute closure () finds ALL derivable FDs.
    • Equivalence: and are equivalent if their closures are identical ().
    • Minimal Cover: Single-attribute right sides, no extraneous left-side attributes, no redundant FDs.

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    Functional Dependencies and Normalization Short Notes for GATE DA: Concepts, Formulas, Worked Examples & Practice

    Functional Dependencies and Normalization short notes for GATE DA: 3 study cards covering concepts, formulas, shortcuts and exam traps, plus solved practice q

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