4NF PRESENTATION

by David Smart B192874B

 The Fourth Normal Form (4NF) is a level of database normalization that

builds upon the concepts of the previous normal forms (1NF, 2NF, and
3NF). It addresses certain types of multivalued dependencies that can
occur within a relational database. By eliminating these dependencies,
4NF helps to minimize data redundancy and improve data integrity.
 To understand 4NF, let's first review the concept of multivalued
dependencies. A multivalued dependency occurs when a relation
(table) has attributes that depend on a combination of other attributes
rather than just a single attribute. In other words, a change in one
attribute can result in multiple possible values for another attribute.
 EXAMPLE
• To demonstrate 4NF, let's consider an example of a database table
representing a library's book collection. Suppose we have the
following relation called "Books":
• Books (Book_ID, Title, Authors, Genres)
• Here, Book_ID is the primary key, and Title, Authors, and Genres are
attributes. Multiple authors and genres can be associated with a
single book, resulting in multivalued dependencies.
• Now, let's examine a specific instance of the "Books" relation:
 CONTINUES

Book_ID Title Authors Genres

1 "Book A" "Author X" "Genre 1"

1 "Book A" "Author Y" "Genre 2"

2 "Book B" "Author Z" "Genre 1"

2 "Book B" "Author Y" "Genre 3"

 Explanation

• In this example, we can observe that for each book, there are multiple
values for the "Authors" and "Genres" attributes. This indicates a
multivalued dependency. To normalize this relation into 4NF, we need
to split it into two relations.
• First, we create a new relation, "Books_Authors":
• Books_Authors (Book_ID, Author)
• This relation will store each book's ID and a single author associated
with it. The data would be as follows:
 Continues…
Book_ID Author

1 "Author X"

1 "Author Y"

2 "Author Z"

2 "Author Y"
 Continues…
• Next, we create another new relation, "Books_Genres":
• Books_Genres (Book_ID, Genre)
• This relation will store each book's ID and a single genre associated with it. The data would be as
follows:

Book_ID Genre

1 "Genre 1"

1 "Genre 2"

2 "Genre 1"

2 "Genre 3"
 Continues…
• Now, the original "Books" relation has been decomposed into two separate relations,
"Books_Authors" and "Books_Genres." These new relations have eliminated the multivalued
dependencies present in the original relation.
• By decomposing the relation in this manner, we achieve 4NF. Each attribute now depends on the
primary key of its respective relation, ensuring that each relation represents a single-valued
dependency.
• In summary, the Fourth Normal Form (4NF) is a level of database normalization that eliminates
multivalued dependencies by decomposing relations into smaller, more focused relations. This
helps to reduce redundancy and maintain data integrity.