Describe and explain how to identify functional dependencies, identify determinants and dependent attributes in a database.

Describe and explain how to identify functional dependencies, identify determinants and dependent attributes in a database.

Functional dependencies are used in databases to define relationships and dependencies of different attributes on each other. There may or may not be a functional dependency. For example we might say that for a certain relation R that has two attributes Y and Z, we can describe a functional dependency as Y->Z. it signifies that Z is functionally dependent on Y or Y determines Z.

There are functional dependencies where not one but two attributes make another attribute dependent e.g. (X, Y) -> Z. In such cases we cannot say that either one of Y and X can determine Z.