In the context of schema normalization in relational DBMS, consider a set of functional dependencies. The set of all functional dependencies implied by is called the closure of . To compute the closure of , Armstrong's Axioms can be applied. Consider , and as sets of attributes over a relational schema. The three rules of Armstrong's Axioms are described as follows.
Reflexivity: If , then
Augmentation: If , then for any Z
Transitivity: If and , then
The additional rule of Union is defined as follows.
Union: If and , then
It can be proved that the additional rule of Union is also implied by the three rules of Armstrong's Axioms. Listed below are four combinations of these three rules. Which one of these combinations is both necessary and sufficient for the proof?
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Answer: D
To determine which combination of Armstrong's Axioms is both necessary and sufficient to prove the Union rule, let us write down the proof using the minimum number of axioms.
Union Rule: If and , then .
Proof:
- We are given:
- (i)
- (ii)
- Apply the Augmentation rule to (i) by augmenting both sides with :
(Since by set theory) - Apply the Augmentation rule to (ii) by augmenting both sides with :
- Apply the Transitivity rule to and :
Thus, the Union rule is successfully derived using only Augmentation and Transitivity. Reflexivity is not required for this proof.
Therefore, the combination of Augmentation and Transitivity is both necessary and sufficient.
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