Normalization in relational database design is the process of organizing data to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. It involves structuring a database to ensure data dependencies are logical, thus enhancing efficiency and consistency.

First Normal Form (1NF)

1NF requires that each column contains only atomic values, meaning each cell has a single value, and each record is unique. This simplifies data manipulation and querying.

Second Normal Form (2NF)

2NF builds on 1NF by ensuring that all non-key attributes are fully dependent on the primary key. This eliminates partial dependencies, reducing redundancy by separating data into related tables.

Third Normal Form (3NF)

3NF further refines the structure by ensuring that non-key attributes are dependent only on the primary key and not on other non-key attributes. This removes transitive dependencies, further reducing redundancy and potential anomalies.

Importance

Normalization improves database integrity by organizing data logically, which reduces redundancy and the risk of anomalies during data operations. It enhances efficiency by optimizing the database structure, leading to faster query performance and easier maintenance. Overall, normalization is essential for a clean, efficient, and reliable database system.