Normalization

Normalization
We discuss four normal forms: first, second, third, and
Boyce-Codd normal forms
1NF, 2NF, 3NF, and BCNF

Normalization is a process that improves a database

design by generating relations that are of higher normal
forms.

The objective of normalization:

to create relations where every dependency is on the key,
the whole key, and nothing but the key.

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 Normalization
There is a sequence to normal forms:
1NF is considered the weakest,
2NF is stronger than 1NF,
3NF is stronger than 2NF, and
BCNF is considered the strongest

Also,
any relation that is in BCNF, is in 3NF;
any relation in 3NF is in 2NF; and
any relation in 2NF is in 1NF.

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 Normalization

1NF a relation in BCNF, is also

in 3NF

2NF a relation in 3NF is also in

2NF
3NF
a relation in 2NF is also in
1NF
BCNF

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 Normalization
We consider a relation in BCNF to be fully normalized.

The benefit of higher normal forms is that update semantics for

the affected data are simplified.

This means that applications required to maintain the database

are simpler.

A design that has a lower normal form than another design has
more redundancy. Uncontrolled redundancy can lead to data
integrity problems.

First we introduce the concept of functional dependency

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 Functional Dependencies
Functional Dependencies
We say an attribute, B, has a functional dependency on
another attribute, A, if for any two records, which have
the same value for A, then the values for B in these two
records must be the same. We illustrate this as:
AB
Example: Suppose we keep track of employee email
addresses, and we only track one email address for each
employee. Suppose each employee is identified by their
unique employee number. We say there is a functional
dependency of email address on employee number:

employee number email address

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 Functional Dependencies
EmpNum EmpEmail EmpFname EmpLname
123 [email protected] John Doe
456 [email protected] Peter Smith
555 [email protected] Alan Lee
633 [email protected] Peter Doe
787 [email protected] Alan Lee

If EmpNum is the PK then the FDs:

EmpNum EmpEmail
EmpNum EmpFname
EmpNum EmpLname
must exist.

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Functional Dependencies
EmpNum EmpEmail
EmpNum EmpFname 3 different ways
EmpNum EmpLname you might see FDs
depicted
EmpEmail
EmpNum EmpFname

EmpLname

EmpNum EmpEmail EmpFname EmpLname

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 Determinant
Functional Dependency

EmpNum EmpEmail

Attribute on the LHS is known as the determinant

EmpNum is a determinant of EmpEmail

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 Transitive dependency
Transitive dependency

Consider attributes A, B, and C, and where

A B and B C.
Functional dependencies are transitive, which
means that we also have the functional dependency
AC
We say that C is transitively dependent on A through
B.

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 Transitive dependency
EmpNum DeptNum

EmpNum EmpEmail DeptNum DeptNname

DeptNum DeptName

EmpNum EmpEmail DeptNum DeptNname

DeptName is transitively dependent on EmpNum via DeptNum

EmpNum DeptName

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 Partial dependency
A partial dependency exists when an attribute B is
functionally dependent on an attribute A, and A is a
component of a multipart candidate key.

InvNum LineNum Qty InvDate

Candidate keys: {InvNum, LineNum} InvDate is

partially dependent on {InvNum, LineNum} as
InvNum is a determinant of InvDate and InvNum is
part of a candidate key
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 First Normal Form
First Normal Form
We say a relation is in 1NF if all values stored in the
relation are single-valued and atomic.

1NF places restrictions on the structure of relations.

Values must be simple.

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 First Normal Form
The following in not in 1NF

EmpNum EmpPhone EmpDegrees

123 233-9876
333 233-1231 BA, BSc, PhD
679 233-1231 BSc, MSc

EmpDegrees is a multi-valued field:

employee 679 has two degrees: BSc and MSc
employee 333 has three degrees: BA, BSc, PhD

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 First Normal Form
EmpNum EmpPhone EmpDegrees
123 233-9876
333 233-1231 BA, BSc, PhD
679 233-1231 BSc, MSc

To obtain 1NF relations we must, without loss of

information, replace the above with two relations -
see next slide

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 First Normal Form
EmployeeDegree
Employee
EmpNum EmpDegree
EmpNum EmpPhone
333 BA
123 233-9876
333 BSc
333 233-1231
333 PhD
679 233-1231
679 BSc
679 MSc

An outer join between Employee and EmployeeDegree will

produce the information we saw before

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 Boyce-Codd Normal Form
Boyce-Codd Normal Form

BCNF is defined very simply:

a relation is in BCNF if it is in 1NF and if every
determinant is a candidate key.

If our database will be used for OLTP (on line transaction

processing), then BCNF is our target. Usually, we meet this
objective. However, we might denormalize (3NF, 2NF, or
1NF) for performance reasons.

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 Second Normal Form
Second Normal Form
A relation is in 2NF if it is in 1NF, and every non-key attribute
is fully dependent on each candidate key. (That is, we dont
have any partial functional dependency.)

2NF(and3NF)bothinvolvetheconceptsofkeyand
nonkeyattributes.
Akeyattributeisanyattributethatispartofakey;
anyattributethatisnotakeyattribute,isanonkey attribute.
RelationsthatarenotinBCNFhavedataredundancies
Arelationin2NFwillnothaveanypartialdependencies

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 Second Normal Form
Consider this InvLine table (in 1NF):
InvNum LineNum ProdNum Qty InvDate
InvNum, LineNum ProdNum, Qty
There are two
candidate keys.
Qty is the only non-
key attribute, and it is
InvNum InvDate
dependent on InvNum
Since there is a determinant that is not a
candidate key, InvLine is not BCNF
InvLine is
InvLine is not 2NF since there is a partial only in 1NF
dependency of InvDate on InvNum
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 Second Normal Form
InvLine
InvNum LineNum ProdNum Qty InvDate
The above relation has redundancies: the invoice date is
repeated on each invoice line.
We can improve the database by decomposing the relation
into two relations:
InvNum LineNum ProdNum Qty

InvNum InvDate

Question: What is the highest normal form for these

relations? 2NF? 3NF? BCNF?
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Is the following relation in 2NF?

inv_no line_no prod_no prod_desc qty

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2NF, but not in 3NF, nor in BCNF:

EmployeeDept
ename ssn bdate address dnumber dname

since dnumber is not a candidate key and we have:

dnumber dname.

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 Third Normal Form
Third Normal Form
A relation is in 3NF if the relation is in 1NF and all
determinants of non-key attributes are candidate keys
That is, for any functional dependency: X Y, where Y is
a non-key attribute (or a set of non-key attributes), X is a
candidate key.
This definition of 3NF differs from BCNF only in the
specification of non-key attributes - 3NF is weaker than
BCNF. (BCNF requires all determinants to be candidate
keys.)
A relation in 3NF will not have any transitive dependencies
of non-key attribute on a candidate key through another
non-key attribute.
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 Third Normal Form
Consider this Employee relation Candidate keys
are?

EmpNum EmpName DeptNum DeptName

EmpName, DeptNum, and DeptName are non-key attributes.

DeptNum determines DeptName, a non-key attribute, and
DeptNum is not a candidate key.

Is the relation in 3NF? no Is the relation in BCNF? no

Is the relation in 2NF? yes

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 Third Normal Form
EmpNum EmpName DeptNum DeptName

We correct the situation by decomposing the original relation

into two 3NF relations. Note the decomposition is lossless.

EmpNum EmpName DeptNum DeptNum DeptName

Verify these two relations are in 3NF.

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 In 3NF, but not in BCNF:

Instructor teaches one

course only.
student_no course_no instr_no
Student takes a course
and has one instructor.

{student_no, course_no} instr_no

instr_no course_no

since we have instr_no course-no, but instr_no is not a

Candidate key.

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 student_no course_no instr_no

BC
NF

student_no instr_no

course_no instr_no

{student_no, instr_no} student_no

{student_no, instr_no} instr_no
instr_no course_no
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