What is database normalization?

Question

Accepted Answer

**Normalization** — organizing data to reduce redundancy.

**Normal forms:**
- **1NF** — atomic values, no repeating groups.
- **2NF** — 1NF + no partial dependencies.
- **3NF** — 2NF + no transitive dependencies.

**Example:**
```
Before (denormalized):
Order: {order_id, customer_name, customer_email, product_name}

After (normalized):
Customer: {customer_id, name, email}
Product: {product_id, name}
Order: {order_id, customer_id, product_id}
```

**Benefits:**
- Reduced redundancy.
- Data integrity.
- Efficient updates.

**BA relevance:**
- Understand data structure.
- Write better queries.
- Validate requirements.

Business Analyst: What is database normalization?