Normalization databases

Normalization in databases is a systematic approach to organizing data to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. It involves structuring a database in such a way that each piece of data is stored only once, which minimizes the chances of anomalies during data operations. The process typically includes dividing large tables into smaller, related tables and defining relationships between them. Various normal forms, such as the first, second, and third normal forms, guide this structuring process. While normalization enhances data consistency, it may also lead to performance trade-offs, particularly in read-heavy applications where denormalization might be considered for optimization.