Relational Model Overview
The Relational Model is a way to structure and organize data using relations (tables). It was proposed by Dr. E.F. Codd in 1970 and forms the theoretical foundation of relational databases.
In the relational model, data is represented as tuples (rows) grouped into relations (tables), with each relation having a unique name.
Key Concepts of the Relational Model
- Relation (Table): A named collection of rows and columns.
- Tuple (Row): A single record in a table.
- Attribute (Column): A named field representing a data property.
- Domain: The set of allowed values for a given attribute.
- Primary Key: A unique identifier for each tuple.
- Foreign Key: An attribute that links one relation to another.
- Schema: The structure of the database (tables, attributes, relationships).
Example Relational Schema
Below is a simple relational model with two related tables:
| student_id (PK) | name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Amit |
| 2 | Priya |
| enroll_id (PK) | student_id (FK) | course |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | 1 | Math |
| 102 | 2 | Science |
In this example:
student_idis a Primary Key inStudents.student_idinEnrollmentsis a Foreign Key, referencingStudents.
Advantages of the Relational Model
- Simple and logical structure (tables).
- Data integrity through keys and constraints.
- Easily queried using SQL.
- Supports relationships across multiple tables.
- Flexible schema and normalization support.


