Data-Intensive Systems: Relational Model and Algebra

This lecture covers the relational model and relational algebra, fundamental concepts in data-intensive systems. It begins with an overview of the relational model, emphasizing its simplicity and expressiveness, which makes it widely adopted by major database systems like IBM and Oracle. The instructor explains the structure of databases, including relations, attributes, and tuples, and introduces SQL as the standard language for managing relational data. Key concepts such as keys, integrity constraints, and the importance of referential integrity are discussed. The lecture then transitions to relational algebra, detailing its operations like selection, projection, union, and joins, which are essential for querying relational databases. The instructor highlights the significance of understanding these operations for effective query optimization and execution. The session concludes with examples illustrating how relational algebra can be applied to real-world scenarios, reinforcing the practical applications of these theoretical concepts in database management.