Discuss the difference between full functional dependency and partial dependency. Include an example (other than the one in the text. Include one question for your peers to research and answer. A web search for relevant articles and information could be employed to further assist you in your response.
The difference between full functional dependency and partial dependency
Full Answer Section
Let's analyze the dependencies:
- Full Functional Dependency:
- ProfessorName is fully functionally dependent on (StudentID, CourseID). To know the professor teaching a specific student in a specific course, you need both the student's ID and the course's ID.
- CourseLocation is fully functionally dependent on (StudentID, CourseID). To know the location of a course a specific student is taking, you need both the student's ID and the course's ID.
- Partial Dependency:
- StudentMajor is partially dependent on StudentID. You only need the student's ID to know their major. You don't need the CourseID. This is a partial dependency because StudentMajor depends on only a part of the composite primary key (StudentID, CourseID).
Why Partial Dependency is Problematic:
Partial dependency leads to data redundancy. For example, the student's major would be repeated for every course the student is registered in. This can cause:
- Insertion Anomalies: Difficulties in adding new data.
- Update Anomalies: If a student changes their major, you have to update multiple rows.
- Deletion Anomalies: Deleting a course registration might unintentionally delete the student's major.
Question for Peers:
"Research and explain how the process of normalization, specifically moving from 1NF (First Normal Form) to 2NF (Second Normal Form), addresses the issue of partial dependencies. Also, discuss if there are situations where leaving a database in 1NF is acceptable, and why."
Sample Answer
Full Functional Dependency:
A full functional dependency exists when a non-key attribute is dependent on all attributes of a composite primary key. In simpler terms, to determine the value of a non-key attribute, you need the values of every attribute in the primary key. If even one part of the composite key is missing, you cannot determine the value.
Partial Dependency:
Partial dependency occurs when a non-key attribute is dependent on only part of a composite primary key. In this case, you can determine the value of the non-key attribute using only a subset of the primary key attributes. This leads to redundancy and potential anomalies in the database.
Example:
Consider a database for a university's course registration system. We have the following attributes:
- StudentID (Primary Key - part 1)
- CourseID (Primary Key - part 2)
- ProfessorName (Non-key attribute)
- CourseLocation (Non-key attribute)
- StudentMajor (Non-key attribute)