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Databases, Normalisation and Entity Modelling

Third normal form

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 2

Overview

Rule for third normal form and transitive dependency.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

State the rule for third normal form.

Key term

What is a transitive dependency?

Key term

Identify the transitive dependency in COURSE(CourseCode, CourseTitle, TeacherID, TeacherName).

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    State the rule for third normal form.

    Model answer

    A table is in third normal form when it is in second normal form and has no transitive dependencies. Every non-key attribute must depend on the key alone.

  2. 2

    What is a transitive dependency?

    Model answer

    A transitive dependency exists when a non-key attribute depends on another non-key attribute. TeacherName depending on TeacherID is a transitive dependency in the COURSE table.

  3. 3

    Identify the transitive dependency in COURSE(CourseCode, CourseTitle, TeacherID, TeacherName).

    Model answer

    CourseCode determines TeacherID, and TeacherID in turn determines TeacherName. TeacherName therefore depends on the key only through another non-key attribute.

  4. 4

    Convert COURSE to third normal form.

    Model answer

    COURSE(CourseCode, CourseTitle, TeacherID) keeps the teacher identifier as a foreign key. TEACHER(TeacherID, TeacherName) becomes a separate table holding each teacher once.

  5. 5

    State the final set of tables for the enrolment example in third normal form.

    Model answer

    The four tables are STUDENT(StudentID, StudentName, TutorGroup), COURSE(CourseCode, CourseTitle, TeacherID), TEACHER(TeacherID, TeacherName) and ENROLMENT(StudentID, CourseCode, Grade). Each fact is now stored exactly once.

  6. 6

    What redundancy is removed by reaching third normal form here?

    Model answer

    A teacher's name is stored once in the TEACHER table instead of once per course. A misspelt teacher name now needs only a single correction.

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