RelationalAlgebraSlides.pptVIP

Chapter 3 The Relational Model Chapter 3 - Objectives The origins of the relational model. The terminology associated with the relational model. How tables are used to represent data. The connection between mathematical relations and relations in the relational model. Properties of database relations. How to identify candidate, primary, and foreign keys. The meaning of entity integrity and referential integrity. The categories of relational Data Manipulation Languages (DMLs). How to form queries in relational algebra. How relational calculus queries are expressed. The purpose and advantages of views in relational systems. Criteria for the evaluation of relational database management systems. Terminology A relation is a table with columns and rows. The user perceives the database structure as consisting of tables. This only really applies to the logical structure (external and conceptual levels) of the database, not necessarily the physical structure. An attribute is a named column of a relation. The domain is a set of allowable values for one or more attributes. Relational Model Terminology A tuple is a row of a relation. The degree is the number of attributes in a relation. Cardinality is the number of tuples in a relation. A Relational Database is a collection of normalized relations. Instances of Branch and Staff (part) Relations Examples of Attribute Domains Alternative Terminology for Components of the Relational Model Mathematical Relations Mathematical Relation Any subset of a Cartesian product is a relation. For example: R = {(2, 1), (4, 1)} We may specify which pairs are in a relation using some condition for making a selection. For example, the second element should be 1 R = {(x, y) | x ?D1, y ?D2, and y = 1} Mathematical Relations We can use mathematical constructs to evaluate the components of a relation Identify another relation, S, where the first element is always twice the second. S = {(x, y) | x ? D1, y ? D2, and x = 2y} Only one ordered p