Applied Mathematics for Database Professionals

Abstract

SUMMARY: Relational databases hold data, right? They indeed do, but to think of a database as nothing more than a container for data is to miss out on the profound power that underlies relational technology. A far more powerful way of thinking lies in relational technology's foundation in the mathematical disciplines of logic and set theory. Databases contain truths or propositions describing some area of interest such as a business. Those truths are organized into sets. Operations from logic and set theory can be applied to existing sets of truths to derive new sets of truths. Applied Mathematics for Database Professionals introduces you to this way of thinking, to the logic and set theory that underlies relational database technology. All this may sound abstract now, but there are profound benefits from the deeper understanding you'll gain from this book. You'll learn to Become a better database designer. You'll make fewer mistakes, and your designs will be more flexible in response to changing data needs. Use the expressive power of mathematics to precisely specify designs and business rules. Communicate effectively about design using the universal language of mathematics. Develop and write complex SQL statements with confidence. Avoid pitfalls and problems from common relational bugaboos such as null values and duplicate rows. The math that you learn in this book will put you above the level of understanding of most database professionals today. You'll better understand the technology and be able to apply it more effectively. You'll avoid data anomalies like redundancy and inconsistency. Understanding what's in this book will take your mastery of relational technology to heights you may not have thought possible. This book is reviewed and endorsed by C. J. Date and features a foreword by the same.