UNIT III

Functional Dependencies

1 1. Functional Dependencies

In relational database management, functional dependency is a concept that specifies the

relationship between two sets of attributes where one attribute determines the value of another
attribute. It is denoted as X → Y, where the attribute set on the left side of the arrow, X is
called Determinant, and Y is called the Dependent.

What is Functional Dependency?

A functional dependency occurs when one attribute uniquely determines another

attribute within a relation. It is a constraint that describes how attributes in a table relate to each
other.

If attribute A functionally determines attribute B we write this as the A→B.

Functional dependencies are used to mathematically express relations among database

entities and are very important to understanding advanced concepts in Relational Database
Systems.

Example:

roll_no name dept_name dept_building

42 abc CO A4

43 pqr IT A3

44 xyz CO A4

45 xyz IT A3

46 mno EC B2

47 jkl ME B2

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering
From the above table we can conclude some valid functional dependencies:

➢ roll_no → { name, dept_name, dept_building },→

• Here, roll_no can determine values of fields name, dept_name and dept_building,
hence a valid Functional dependency

➢ roll_no → dept_name ,

• Since, roll_no can determine whole set of {name, dept_name, dept_building}, it

can determine its subset dept_name also.

➢ dept_name → dept_building ,

• Dept_name can identify the dept_building accurately, since departments with

different dept_name will also have a different dept_building

➢ More valid functional dependencies: roll_no → name, {roll_no, name} ⇢ {dept_name,

dept_building}, etc.

Here are some invalid functional dependencies:

➢ name → dept_name

• Students with the same name can have different dept_name, hence this is not a valid
functional dependency.

➢ dept_building → dept_name

• There can be multiple departments in the same building. Example, in the above
table departments ME and EC are in the same building B2, hence dept_building →
dept_name is an invalid functional dependency.

➢ More invalid functional dependencies: name → roll_no, {name, dept_name} → roll_no,

dept_building → roll_no, etc.

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering
Armstrong’s axioms/properties of functional dependencies:

1. Reflexivity: If Y is a subset of X, then X→Y holds by reflexivity rule

Example, {roll_no, name} → name is valid.

2. Augmentation: If X → Y is a valid dependency, then XZ → YZ is also valid by the

augmentation rule.

Example, {roll_no, name} → dept_building is valid, hence {roll_no, name,

dept_name} → {dept_building, dept_name} is also valid.

3. Transitivity: If X → Y and Y → Z are both valid dependencies, then X→Z is also valid
by the Transitivity rule.
Example, roll_no → dept_name & dept_name → dept_building, then roll_no →
dept_building is also valid.

Types of Functional Dependencies in DBMS

1. Trivial functional dependency

2. Non-Trivial functional dependency

3. Multivalued functional dependency

4. Transitive functional dependency

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering
1. Trivial Functional Dependency

In Trivial Functional Dependency, a dependent is always a subset of the determinant. i.e. If X →

Y and Y is the subset of X, then it is called trivial functional dependency

Example:

roll_no Name age

42 Abc 17

43 Pqr 18

44 Xyz 18

Here, {roll_no, name} → name is a trivial functional dependency, since the

dependent name is a subset of determinant set {roll_no, name}. Similarly, roll_no → roll_no is
also an example of trivial functional dependency.

2. Non-trivial Functional Dependency

In Non-trivial functional dependency, the dependent is strictly not a subset of the determinant.
i.e. If X → Y and Y is not a subset of X, then it is called Non-trivial functional dependency.

Example:

roll_no name age

42 Abc 17

43 Pqr 18

44 Xyz 18

Here, roll_no → name is a non-trivial functional dependency, since the

dependent name is not a subset of determinant roll_no. Similarly, {roll_no, name} → age is also
a non-trivial functional dependency, since age is not a subset of {roll_no, name}

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering
3. Multivalued Functional Dependency

In Multivalued functional dependency, entities of the dependent set are not dependent on each
other. i.e. If a → {b, c} and there exists no functional dependency between b and c, then it is
called a multivalued functional dependency.

For example,

roll_no name age

42 abc 17

43 pqr 18

44 xyz 18

45 abc 19

Here, roll_no → {name, age} is a multivalued functional dependency, since the

dependents name & age are not dependent on each other(i.e. name → age or age → name doesn’t
exist !)

4. Transitive Functional Dependency

In transitive functional dependency, dependent is indirectly dependent on determinant. i.e. If a →

b & b → c, then according to axiom of transitivity, a → c. This is a transitive functional
dependency.

For example,

enrol_no name dept building_no

42 abc CO 4
43 pqr EC 2
44 xyz IT 1
45 abc EC 2

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering
Here, enrol_no → dept and dept → building_no. Hence, according to the axiom of
transitivity, enrol_no → building_no is a valid functional dependency. This is an indirect
functional dependency, hence called Transitive functional dependency.

5. Fully Functional Dependency

In full functional dependency an attribute or a set of attributes uniquely determines another

attribute or set of attributes. If a relation R has attributes X, Y, Z with the dependencies X->Y
and X->Z which states that those dependencies are fully functional.

6. Partial Functional Dependency

In partial functional dependency, a non key attribute depends on a part of the composite key,
rather than the whole key. If a relation R has attributes X, Y, Z where X and Y are the composite
key and Z is non key attribute. Then X->Z is a partial functional dependency in RBDMS

Database Management Systems

School of Computing
Department Computer Science and Engineering