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Chapter 6: Problem 8

In what sense does relational calculus differ from relational algebra, and in what sense are they similar?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Relational calculus and relational algebra are both data retrieval languages that produce a new relation as an output. They are different in terms of their approach: relational algebra is a procedural query language that defines how to achieve the desired result, while relational calculus is a non-procedural query language that defines what it aims to find without explaining how to compute it.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Relational Algebra

Relational algebra is a procedural query language, which takes one or two relations as input and produces a new relation as an output. It uses operators to perform queries. The fundamental operators include Set-theoretic operators (such as ∪, −, ×,) and Special operators (like σ, π, ρ). Thus, relational algebra explains how to obtain the result.
02

Understanding Relational Calculus

Relational calculus, on the other hand, is a non-procedural query language, which means it tells what result to obtain rather than how to compute it. It provides a way to declaratively express what we want without giving a detailed procedure for obtaining it.
03

The Difference between Relational Algebra and Relational Calculus

The main difference between relational algebra and calculus is that relational algebra is procedural whereas relational calculus is non-procedural. Meaning, in relational algebra we express what we want with detailed steps while in relational calculus, we express what we want without outlining how to compute it.
04

The Similarity between Relational Algebra and Relational Calculus

Despite their differences, they have a common trait: they are both used to manipulate, retrieve and manage data in relational databases. They both produce a new relation as an output and they are both based on the mathematical concept of sets.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Discuss the meanings of the existential quantifier \((\exists)\) and the universal quantifier \((\forall)\)

Show how you may specify the following relational algebra operations in both tuple and domain relational calculus. a. \( \sigma_{A=C}(R(A, B, C))\) b. \(\pi_{}(R(A, B, C))\) c. \(R(A, B, C) * S(C, D, E)\) d. \(R(A, B, C) \cup S(A, B, C)\) e. \(R(A, B, C) \cap S(A, B, C)\) \(f(A, B, C)-S(A, B, C)\) g. \(R(A, B, C) \times S(D, E, F)\) h. \(R(A, B) \div S(A)\)

What is the FUNCTION operation? What is it used for?

What is meant by a safe expression in relational calculus?

Discuss some types of queries for which renaming of attributes is necessary in order to specify the query unambiguously.
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