Relational Algebra and

Calculus
Francis Noel I. Alarcon
University of the East
 Query Language: Definition

• In simple words, a Language which is used to store and retrieve

data from database is known as query language.
 Relational Algebra: Definition

• It is a procedural query language that works on relational model.

• procedural query language means that it tells what data to be retrieved
and how to be retrieved.
 Relational Algebra: Types of operations
1. Basic Operations
• Select (σ)
• Project (∏)
• Union (∪)
• Set Difference (-)
• Cartesian product (X)
• Rename (ρ)
2. Derived Operations
• Natural Join (⋈)
• Left, Right, Full outer join (⟕, ⟖, ⟗)
• Intersection (∩)
• Division (÷)
 Relational Algebra: Select (σ)

• Select Operator is denoted by sigma (σ) and it is used to find the

tuples (or rows) in a relation (or table) which satisfy the given
condition.
• Syntax
• σ Condition/Predicate(Relation/Table name)
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table CUSTOMER
Customer_Id Customer_Name Customer_City
C10100 Steve Agra
C10111 Raghu Agra
C10115 Chaitanya Noida
C10117 Ajeet Delhi
C10118 Carl Delhi

• σ Customer_City="Agra" (CUSTOMER)
Customer_Id Customer_Name Customer_City
C10100 Steve Agra
C10111 Raghu Agra
 Relational Algebra: Project (∏)

• Project operator is denoted by ∏ symbol and it is used to select

desired columns (or attributes) from a table (or relation).
• Syntax
• ∏ column_name1, column_name2, ...., column_nameN(table_name)
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table CUSTOMER
Customer_Id Customer_Name Customer_City
C10100 Steve Agra
C10111 Raghu Agra
C10115 Chaitanya Noida
C10117 Ajeet Delhi
C10118 Carl Delhi

• ∏ Customer_Name, Customer_City (CUSTOMER)

Customer_Name Customer_City
Steve Agra
Raghu Agra
Chaitanya Noida
Ajeet Delhi
Carl Delhi
 Relational Algebra: Union (∪)

• Union operator is denoted by ∪ symbol and it is used to select all

the rows (tuples) from two tables (relations).
• The rows (tuples) that are present in both the tables will only
appear once in the union set.
• Syntax
• table_name1 ∪ table_name2
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table COURSE Table STUDENT
Course_Id Student_Name Student_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C101 Aditya S901 S901 Aditya 19
C104 Aditya S901 S911 Steve 18
C106 Steve S911 S921 Paul 19
C109 Paul S921 S941 Carl 16

• ∏C115
Student_Name
Lucy (COURSE)
S931 ∪ ∏ Student_Name
S951 (STUDENT)
Rick 18

Student_Name
Aditya
Steve
Paul
Lucy
Carl
Rick
 Relational Algebra: Set Difference (-)

• Set Difference is denoted by – symbol.

• Displays Tuples that are present in Table 1 BUT NOT present in
Table 2
• Syntax
• table_name1 - table_name2
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table COURSE Table STUDENT
Course_Id Student_Name Student_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C101 Aditya S901 S901 Aditya 19
C104 Aditya S901 S911 Steve 18
C106 Steve S911 S921 Paul 19
C109 Paul S921 S941 Carl 16

• ∏C115
Student_Name
Lucy (STUDENT)
S931 - S951
∏ Student_Name (COURSE)
Rick 18

Student_Name
Carl
Rick
 Relational Algebra: Cartesian product (X)

• Cartesian Product is denoted by X symbol.

• Displays Tuples that would combine each tuple of the first table
with each tuple of second table.
• R1 X R2
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table R Table S
Col_A Col_B Col_X Col_Y
AA 100 XX 50
AB 200 XY 25

• RXS
Col_A Col_B Col_X Col_Y
AA 100 XX 50
AA 100 XY 25
AB 200 XX 50
AB 200 XY 25
 Relational Algebra: Rename (ρ)

• Rename (ρ) operation can be used to rename a relation or an attribute of a

relation.
• Syntax
• ρ(new_relation_name, old_relation_name)
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table CUSTOMER
Customer_Id Customer_Name Customer_City
C10100 Steve Agra
C10111 Raghu Agra
C10115 Chaitanya Noida
C10117 Ajeet Delhi
C10118 Carl Delhi

• ρ(CUST_NAMES, ∏(Customer_Name)(CUSTOMER))
CUST_NAMES
Steve
Raghu
Chaitanya
Ajeet
Carl
 Relational Algebra: Natural Join (⋈)

• is the set of tuples of all combinations in R and S that are equal on

their common attribute names. It is denoted by ⋈.
• Syntax
• R⋈S
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Course Table Student
Course_Id Student_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 S921 Paul 19

• STUDENT ⋈ COURSE
Course_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 Paul 19
 Relational Algebra: Left outer join (⟕)

• Left outer join contains the set of tuples of all combinations in R

and S that are equal on their common attribute names.
• In the left outer join, tuples in R have no matching tuples in S.
• It is denoted by ⟕.
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Course
Course_Id
Table Student
Student_Id
Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 S921 Paul 19
C110 S933 S944 Mike 20

• STUDENT ⟕COURSE
Course_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 Paul 19
C110 S933 NULL NULL
 Relational Algebra: Right outer join (⟖)

• Right outer join contains the set of tuples of all combinations in R and S that
are equal on their common attribute names.
• In right outer join, tuples in S have no matching tuples in R.
• It is denoted by ⟖.
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Course
Course_Id
Table Student
Student_Id
Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 S921 Paul 19
C110 S933 S944 Mike 20

• STUDENT ⟖COURSE
Student_Id Course_Id Student_Name Student_Age
S901 C104 Aditya 19
S911 C106 Steve 18
S921 C109 Paul 19
S944 NULL Mike 20
 Relational Algebra: Full outer join (⟗)

• Full outer join is like a left or right join except that it contains all rows from
both tables.
• In full outer join, tuples in R that have no matching tuples in S and tuples in S
that have no matching tuples in R in their common attribute name.
• It is denoted by ⟗.
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Course
Course_Id
Table Student
Student_Id
Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C104 S901 S901 Aditya 19
C106 S911 S911 Steve 18
C109 S921 S921 Paul 19
C110 S933 S944 Mike 20

• STUDENT ⟖COURSE
Student_Id Course_Id Student_Name Student_Age
S901 C104 Aditya 19
S911 C106 Steve 18
S921 C109 Paul 19
S933 C110 NULL NULL
S944 NULL Mike 20
 Relational Algebra: Intersection (∩)

• Intersection operator is denoted by ∩ symbol and it is used to

select common rows (tuples) from two tables (relations).
• Only those rows that are present in both the tables will appear in
the result set.
• Syntax
• table_name1 ∩ table_name2
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Course Table Student
Course_Id Student_Name Student_Id Student_Id Student_Name Student_Age
C101 Aditya S901 S901 Aditya 19
C104 Aditya S901 S911 Steve 18
C106 Steve S911 S921 Paul 19
C109 Paul S921 S941 Carl 16

• ∏C115
Student_Name
Lucy (COURSE)
S931 ∩ ∏ Student_Name
S951 (STUDENT)
Rick 18

Student_Name
Aditya
Steve
Paul
 Relational Algebra: Division (÷)

• Attributes of B is proper subset of Attributes of A.

• The relation returned by division operator will have attributes = (All
attributes of A – All Attributes of B)
• The relation returned by division operator will return those tuples from
relation A which are associated to every B’s tuple.
 Relational Calculus: Definition

• It is a non-procedural query language, which means it tells what data to be

retrieved but doesn’t tell how to retrieve it.
 Relational Calculus: Types

1. Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC)

2. Domain Relational Calculus (DRC)
 Relational Calculus: Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC)

• Tuple relational calculus is used for selecting those tuples that

satisfy the given condition.
• Notation
• {T | P (T)} or {T | Condition (T)}

• T is the resulting tuples

• P(T) is the condition used to fetch T.
 Relational Algebra: Example
• Table Students
Student_Id Student_Name Age
S901 Aditya 19
S911 Steve 18
S921 Paul 20
S931 Lucy 16

• { t. Std_Name | Student(t) AND t.Age < 17 }

Std_Name
Lucy
 Relational Calculus: Domain Relational Calculus (DRC)

• In domain relational calculus the records are filtered based on the domains.
• Notation
• { a1, a2, a3, ..., an | P (a1, a2, a3, ... ,an)}

• a1, a2 are attributes

• P stands for formula built by inner attributes
• The symbols used for logical operators are: ∧ for AND, ∨ for OR and ┓ for NOT