Introduction to Relational Databases

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the introduction to relational databases, including definitions of essential terms and frameworks.

Database

A shared collection of logically related data and a description of the data designed to meet the needs of an organization.

Database Management System (DBMS)

A software system that enables users to define, create, maintain, and access the database.

Relational Model

Introduced by E.F. Codd, it's the foundation for most modern database systems, storing information as records in relations (tables).

Candidate Key

A set of attributes in a relation that provides uniqueness for every tuple and is minimal.

Primary Key

A chosen candidate key used to identify tuples in a relation; it must have unique values.

Foreign Key

A set of attributes in one relation that matches a primary or candidate key in another relation.

Entity Integrity

A rule stating that primary keys cannot contain NULL values.

Referential Integrity

A rule ensuring that foreign key values correspond to actual primary key values in another table.

Degree of a relation

The number of attributes (columns) in a relation.

Cardinality of a relation

The number of tuples (rows) in a relation.

Schemas

A definition of attributes for a relation, which helps to organize the data structure.

Tuples

Ordered sets of values (rows) in a relation that correspond to attributes.