Normalisointimuotoa

Normalisointimuotoa, known in English as normalization form, is a concept primarily used in database design and relational algebra. It refers to a set of rules or criteria that a relation (or table) must satisfy to be considered in a particular normal form. The primary goal of normalization is to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity by organizing data in a way that minimizes anomalies during data insertion, deletion, and updates.

There are several normal forms, with the most common being First Normal Form (1NF), Second Normal Form (2NF), and Third Normal Form (3NF). Higher normal forms like Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF) and Fourth Normal Form (4NF) also exist. Each normal form builds upon the previous one, imposing stricter conditions. For instance, 1NF requires that all attribute values be atomic, meaning each cell in a table contains a single value. 2NF requires that the relation be in 1NF and that all non-key attributes be fully functionally dependent on the primary key. 3NF further requires that there are no transitive dependencies of non-key attributes on the primary key.

Achieving higher normal forms generally leads to more tables and more complex queries, as data might need to be joined from multiple tables. The choice of which normal form to aim for is often a trade-off between data integrity and performance considerations, depending on the specific application requirements.