The Normal Forms
3NF and BCNF
BY
Jasbir Jassu
Preview
Normalization
Solution:
Normal Forms
Introducing 3NF and BCNF
3NF
Examples
BCNF
Normalization
Normalization
is the process of
efficiently organizing data in a
database with two goals in mind
First goal: eliminate redundant data
for example, storing the same data in
more than one table
Second
Goal: ensure data
dependencies make sense
for example, only storing related data in
a table
Benefits of Normalization
Less
storage space
Quicker updates
Less data inconsistency
Clearer data relationships
Easier to add data
Flexible Structure
The Solution: Normal Forms
Bad
database designs results in:
redundancy: inefficient storage.
anomalies: data inconsistency,
difficulties in maintenance
1NF,
2NF, 3NF, BCNF are some of the
early forms in the list that address
this problem
Third Normal Form (3NF)
1)
2)
3)
Meet all the requirements of the 1NF
Meet all the requirements of the 2NF
Remove columns that are not
dependent upon the primary key.
1) First normal form -1NF
1NF : if all attribute values are
atomic: no repeating group, no
composite attributes.
The following table is not in 1NF
DPT_NO
MG_NO
EMP_NO
EMP_NM
D101
12345
20000
20001
20002
Carl Sagan
Mag James
Larry Bird
D102
13456
30000
30001
Jim Carter
Paul Simon
Table in 1NF
DPT_NO
MG_NO
EMP_NO
EMP_NM
D101
12345
20000
Carl Sagan
D101
12345
20001
Mag James
D101
12345
20002
Larry Bird
D102
13456
30000
Jim Carter
D102
13456
30001
Paul Simon
all attribute values are atomic because there are no
repeating group and no composite attributes.
2) Second Normal Form
Second normal form (2NF) further addresses
the concept of removing duplicative data:
A relation R is in 2NF if
(a) R is 1NF , and
(b) all non-prime attributes are fully
dependent on the candidate keys. Which
is creating relationships between these
new tables and their predecessors
through the use of foreign keys.
A prime attribute appears in a candidate
key.
There is no partial dependency in 2NF.
Example is next
No dependencies on non-key attributes
Inventory
Description
Supplier
Cost
Supplier Address
There are two non-key fields. So, here are the
questions:
If I know just Description, can I find out Cost? No,
because we have more than one supplier for the same
product.
If I know just Supplier, and I find out Cost? No,
because I need to know what the Item is as well.
Therefore, Cost is fully, functionally dependent upon
the ENTIRE PK (Description-Supplier) for its existence.
Inventory
Description
Supplier
Cost
CONTINUED
Inventory
Description
Supplier
Cost
Supplier Address
If I know just Description, can I find out Supplier
Address? No,
because we have more than one supplier for the same
product.
If I know just Supplier, and I find out Supplier Address?
Yes.
The Address does not depend upon the description of
the item.
Therefore, Supplier Address is NOT functionally
dependent upon the ENTIRE PK (Description-Supplier)
for its existence.
Supplier
Name
Supplier Address
So putting things together
Inventory
Description
Supplier
Cost
Supplier Address
Inventory
Description
Supplier
Cost
Supplier
Name
Supplier Address
The above relation is now in 2NF since the relation has
no non-key attributes.
3) Remove columns that are not
dependent
upon the primary key.
So for every nontrivial functional dependency X --> A,
(1) X is a superkey, or
(2) A is a prime (key) attribute.
Example of 3NF
Books
Name
Author's Name
Author's Non-de
Plume
# of Pages
If I know # of Pages, can I find out Author's Name? No. Can I find
out Author's Non-de Plume? No.
If I know Author's Name, can I find out # of Pages? No. Can I find
out Author's Non-de Plume? YES.
Therefore, Author's Non-de Plume is functionally dependent upon
Author's Name, not the PK for its existence. It has to go.
Books
Name
Author's Name
# of Pages
Author
Name
Non-de Plume
Another example: Suppose we have relation S
S(SUPP#, PART#, SNAME, QUANTITY) with the following assumptions:
(1) SUPP# is unique for every supplier.
(2) SNAME is unique for every supplier.
(3) QUANTITY is the accumulated quantities of a part supplied by a
supplier.
(4) A supplier can supply more than one part.
(5) A part can be supplied by more than one supplier.
We can find the following nontrivial functional dependencies:
(1) SUPP# --> SNAME
(2) SNAME --> SUPP#
(3) SUPP# PART# --> QUANTITY
(4) SNAME PART# --> QUANTITY
The candidate keys are:
(1) SUPP# PART#
(2) SNAME PART#
The relation is in 3NF.
The table in 3NF
SUPP#
S1
SNAME
Yues
PART#
QTY
P1
100
S1
Yues
P2
200
S2
Yues
P3
250
S2
Jones
P1
300
Example with first three forms
Suppose we have this Invoice Table
First Normal Form: No repeating
groups.
The above table violates 1NF because it has
columns for the first, second, and third line
item.
Solution: you make a separate line item table,
Table now in 1NF
Second Normal Form:
Each column must depend on the *entire* primary key.
Third Normal Form:
Each column must depend on *directly* on the primary
key.
Boyce-Codd Normal Form
(BCNF)
Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF)
A relation is in BCNF, if and only if, every determinant is a
candidate key.
The difference between 3NF and BCNF is that for a functional
dependency A B, 3NF allows this dependency in a relation
if B is a primary-key attribute and A is not a candidate key,
whereas BCNF insists that for this dependency to remain in a
relation, A must be a candidate key.
ClientInterview
ClientN
o
interviewDat
e
interviewTim
e
staffNo
roomNo
CR76
13-May-02
10.30
SG5
G101
CR76
13-May-02
12.00
SG5
G101
CR74
13-May-02
12.00
SG37
G102
CR56
1-Jul-02
10.30
SG5
G102
FD1 clientNo, interviewDate interviewTime, staffNo, roomNo
(Primary Key)
FD2 staffNo, interviewDate, interviewTime clientNo
FD3 roomNo, interviewDate, interviewTime clientNo, staffNo
(Candidate key)
FD4 staffNo, interviewDate roomNo (not a candidate key)
As a consequece the ClientInterview relation may suffer from update
anmalies.
For example, two tuples have to be updated if the roomNo need be changed
for staffNo SG5 on the 13-May-02.
(Candidate key)
Example of BCNF(2)
To transform the ClientInterview relation to BCNF, we must remove
the violating functional dependency by creating two new relations
called Interview and StaffRoom as shown below,
Interview (clientNo, interviewDate, interviewTime, staffNo)
StaffRoom(staffNo, interviewDate, roomNo)
Interview
ClientNo
interviewDate
interviewTime
staffNo
CR76
CR76
CR74
CR56
13-May-02
13-May-02
13-May-02
1-Jul-02
10.30
12.00
12.00
10.30
SG5
SG5
SG37
SG5
StaffRoom
staffNo
interviewDate
roomNo
SG5
SG37
SG5
13-May-02
13-May-02
1-Jul-02
G101
G102
G102
BCNF Interview and StaffRoom relations
Another BCNF Example
Example taken from Dr. Lees 2004 lecture notes
Sources:
http://www.troubleshooters.com/littstip/ltnorm.htm
l
http://www.cs.jcu.edu.au/Subjects/cp1500/1998/Le
cture_Notes/normalisation/3nf.html
Dr. Lees Fall 2004 lecture notes
