Types of dependencies in DBMS
Dependencies in DBMS is a relation between two or more
attributes. It has the following types in DBMS −
Functional Dependency
Fully-Functional Dependency
Transitive Dependency
Multivalued Dependency
Partial Dependency
Functional Dependency
If the information stored in a table can uniquely determine
another information in the same table, then it is
called Functional Dependency. Consider it as an association
between two attributes of the same relation.
If P functionally determines Q, then
P -> Q
Let us see an example −
<Employee>
EmpID EmpName EmpAge
E01 Amit 28
E02 Rohit 31
In the above table, EmpName is functionally dependent
on EmpID because EmpName can take only one value for the
given value of EmpID:
EmpID -> EmpName
The same is displayed below −
Fully-functionally Dependency
An attribute is fully functional dependent on another
attribute, if it is Functionally Dependent on that attribute and
not on any of its proper subset.
For example, an attribute Q is fully functional dependent on
another attribute P, if it is Functionally Dependent on P and
not on any of the proper subset of P.
Let us see an example −
ProjectID ProjectCost
001 1000
002 5000
<ProjectCost>
<EmployeeProject>
EmpID ProjectID Days (spent on the project)
E099 001 320
E056 002 190
The above relations states:
EmpID, ProjectID, ProjectCost -> Days
However, it is not fully functional dependent.
Whereas the subset {EmpID, ProjectID} can easily determine
the {Days} spent on the project by the employee.
This summarizes and gives our fully functional dependency −
{EmpID, ProjectID} -> (Days)
Transitive Dependency
When an indirect relationship causes functional dependency it
is called Transitive Dependency.
If P -> Q and Q -> R is true, then P-> R is a transitive
dependency.
Multivalued Dependency
When existence of one or more rows in a table implies one or
more other rows in the same table, then the Multi-valued
dependencies occur.
If a table has attributes P, Q and R, then Q and R are multi-
valued facts of P.
It is represented by double arrow −
->->
For our example:
P->->QQ->->R
In the above case, Multivalued Dependency exists only if Q
and R are independent attributes.
Partial Dependency occurs when a nonprime attribute is
functionally dependent on part of a candidate key.
The 2nd Normal Form (2NF) eliminates the Partial Dependency.
Let us see an example −
<StudentProject>
StudentID ProjectNo StudentName
S01 199 Katie
S02 120 Ollie
In the above table, we have partial dependency; let us see
how −
The prime key attributes are StudentID and ProjectNo.
As stated, the non-prime attributes
i.e. StudentName and ProjectName should be functionally
dependent on part of a candidate key, to be Partial
Dependent.
The StudentName can be determined by StudentID that makes
the relation Partial Dependent.
The ProjectName can be determined by ProjectID, which that
the relation Partial Dependen
