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Relational databases hold data, right? They do indeed, 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 technologys 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 youll gain from this book.
The math that you'll learn in this book will put you above the level of understanding of most database professionalstoday. You'll better understand the technology and be able to apply it more effectively. You'll avoid data anomalies like redundancy and inconsistency. Understanding whats 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.
About the author
Lex de Haan studied applied mathematics at the University of Technology in Delft, the Netherlands. His experience with Oracle goes back to the mid-1980s, version 4. He worked for Oracle Corporation from 1990 to 2004 in various education-related roles, ending up in Server Technologies (product development) as senior curriculum manager for the advanced database administration curriculum. In that role, he was involved in the development of Oracle9i and Oracle Database 10g. In March 2004, he decided to go independent and founded Natural Join B.V. (http://www.naturaljoin.nl). From 1999 until his passing in 2006, he was involved in the ISO SQL language standardization process, as a member of the Dutch national body. He was also one of the founding members of the OakTable network (http://www.oaktable.net).
Summary
This book touches on an area seldom explored: the mathematical underpinnings of the relational database. The topic is important, but far too often ignored. This is the first book to explain the underlying math in a way that’s accessible to database professionals. Just as importantly, if not more so, this book goes beyond the abstract by showing readers how to apply that math in ways that will make them more productive in their jobs. The authors are widely recognized in the database world, and there is a technical review and foreword by C.J. Date, foremost world authority on relational theory. What’s in this book will "open the eyes" of most readers to the great power, elegance, and simplicity inherent in relational database technology.
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From the reviews:
"It starts with the mathematical foundation of relational databases: concepts and their notation are introduced step-by-step, defined, and clearly explained. … this book is a very good introduction to the foundations of database design for an intermediate or advanced audience … ." (K. Balogh, ACM Computing Reviews, Vol. 49 (12), December, 2008)
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From the reviews:
"It starts with the mathematical foundation of relational databases: concepts and their notation are introduced step-by-step, defined, and clearly explained. ... this book is a very good introduction to the foundations of database design for an intermediate or advanced audience ... ." (K. Balogh, ACM Computing Reviews, Vol. 49 (12), December, 2008)
