A database of research articles in a journal uses the following schema. ($\text{VOLUME}$, $\text{NUMBER}$, $\text{STARTPAGE}$, $\text{ENDPAGE}$, $\text{TITLE}$, $\text{YEAR}$, $\text{PRICE}$) The primary key is ($\text{VOLUME}$, $\text{NUMBER}$, $\text{STARTPAGE}$, $\text{ENDPAGE}$) and the following functional dependencies exist in the schema. $$\begin{aligned} (\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE}) &\to \text{TITLE} \\ (\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}) &\to \text{YEAR} \\ (\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE}) &\to \text{PRICE} \end{aligned}$$ The database is redesigned to use the following schemas. ($\text{VOLUME}$, $\text{NUMBER}$, $\text{STARTPAGE}$, $\text{ENDPAGE}$, $\text{TITLE}$, $\text{PRICE}$) ($\text{VOLUME}$, $\text{NUMBER}$, $\text{YEAR}$) Which is the weakest normal form that the new database satisfies, but the old one does not?

1. Analyze the original schema:

   • Relation: $R(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE}, \text{TITLE}, \text{YEAR}, \text{PRICE})$

   • Candidate / Primary Key: $(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE})$

   • Prime attributes: $\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE}$

   • Non-prime attributes: $\text{TITLE}, \text{YEAR}, \text{PRICE}$

   • Functional dependency: $(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}) \to \text{YEAR}$

   • Here, $(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER})$ is a proper subset of the candidate key, and $\text{YEAR}$ is a non-prime attribute. This represents a partial dependency, violating the condition for 2NF.

   • Therefore, the original schema is in 1NF, but not in 2NF.

2. Analyze the redesigned schemas:

   • $R_1(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE}, \text{TITLE}, \text{PRICE})$ with primary key $(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{STARTPAGE}, \text{ENDPAGE})$.

   • $R_2(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER}, \text{YEAR})$ with primary key $(\text{VOLUME}, \text{NUMBER})$.

   • In both $R_1$ and $R_2$, every functional dependency has a superkey on the left-hand side. Hence, both relations are in 2NF, 3NF, and BCNF.

3. Identify the weakest normal form satisfied by the new database but not the old one:

   • Hierarchy of normal forms (from weakest to strongest): $\text{1NF} < \text{2NF} < \text{3NF} < \text{BCNF}$.

   • Since the old database satisfies 1NF and fails 2NF, while the new database satisfies 2NF (and higher), the *weakest* such normal form is 2NF.

Hence, the correct option is (B).