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Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms

GATE CSE 2014 Set 1 · Q21

MCQ1 markEasy

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Consider the relation scheme R=(E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N)R = (E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N) and the set of functional dependencies {{E,F}→{G},{F}→{I,J},{E,H}→{K,L},{K}→{M},{L}→{N}}\{\{E, F\} \rightarrow \{G\}, \{F\} \rightarrow \{I, J\}, \{E, H\} \rightarrow \{K, L\}, \{K\} \rightarrow \{M\}, \{L\} \rightarrow \{N\}\} on RR. What is the key for RR?

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Solution

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Official answer: B) {E, F, H}

Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms

To determine the candidate key for relation schema R(E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N)R(E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N):

  1. Identify essential attributes: Look at the right-hand side of all given FDs:

    • RHS={G,I,J,K,L,M,N}RHS = \{G, I, J, K, L, M, N\}

    • Attributes missing from the RHS of all FDs are {E,F,H}\{E, F, H\}. These attributes must be part of every candidate key since they cannot be derived from any other attribute.

  2. Compute the attribute closure of {E,F,H}\{E, F, H\}:

    • {E,F,H}+={E,F,H}\{E, F, H\}^+ = \{E, F, H\}

    • Using {E,F}→{G}\{E, F\} \rightarrow \{G\}, add GG: {E,F,G,H}\{E, F, G, H\}

    • Using {F}→{I,J}\{F\} \rightarrow \{I, J\}, add I,JI, J: {E,F,G,H,I,J}\{E, F, G, H, I, J\}

    • Using {E,H}→{K,L}\{E, H\} \rightarrow \{K, L\}, add K,LK, L: {E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L}\{E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L\}

    • Using {K}→{M}\{K\} \rightarrow \{M\}, add MM: {E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M}\{E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M\}

    • Using {L}→{N}\{L\} \rightarrow \{N\}, add NN: {E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N}=R\{E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N\} = R

Since {E,F,H}+\{E, F, H\}^+ contains all attributes of RR and no proper subset can be a key, {E,F,H}\{E, F, H\} is the candidate key for RR.

Hence, option (B) is correct.

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This Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms previous year question is Q21 of the GATE CSE 2014 Set 1 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms in Databases, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.

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Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms in GATE CSE

Integrity Constraints and Normal Forms has 30 GATE CSE PYQs across 20 papers from 2011 to 2026. 10 of them are 1-mark MCQs like this one, and GATE CSE 2014 Set 1 has 2.

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GateAI solution cardGATE CSE 2014 Set 1 · Q21 · MCQ

Consider the relation scheme R = (E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N) and the set of functional dependencies {{E, F} → {G}, {F} → {I, J}, {E, H} → {K, L}, {K} → {M}, {L} → {N}} on R. What is the key for R?

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Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.