CS 4604: Introduction to Database Management Systems

Fall 2007

CS 4604 is intended to be a first course in database systems for advanced undergraduates in computer science. It offers students an introduction to the design and programming of database systems. In particular, we will cover the ER (entity-relationship) approache to data modelling, the relational model of database management systems (DBMSs) and the use of query languages such as SQL. We will also cover relational algebra and the use of SQL in a programming environment. We will briefly touch upon query processing and mention the role of transaction management. We will also devote a class or two to current topics of research such as XML databases, as data warehousing and data mining. Topics outside the scope of this course are how to implement a DBMS, active database elements, and object oriented DBMSs.

Instructor

T. M. Murali

Please include "CS 4604" in the subject line of all email messages that you send me.

Teaching Assistant

Class Meeting Times and Contact Info:

CS4604_91683@listserv.vt.edu

Course Description and Syllabus

Homework Assignments

Homework 1 (Assigned on August 30, 2007; due at start of class on September 11, 2007). Solutions
Homework 2 (Assigned on September 18, 2007; due at start of class on September 25, 2007). Solutions
Homework 3 (Assigned on October 2, 2007; due at start of class on October 9, 2007). Solutions
Homework 4 (Assigned on October 23, 2007; due at start of class on October 30, 2007) Solutions
Homework 5 (Assigned on November 8, 2007; due at start of class on November 15, 2007). Solutions

Course Project

Project overview
Project groups
Assignment 1 (Assigned on August 23 2007; due at the start of class on August 30, 2007)
Assignment 2 (Assigned on September 11, 2007; due at the start of class on September 18, 2006)
Assignment 3 (Assigned on September 25, 2007; due at the start of class on October 4, 2007)
Assignment 4 (Assigned on October 16, 2007; due at the start of class on October 23, 2007)
Assignment 5 (Assigned on October 30, 2007; due at the start of class on November 6, 2007)
Assignment 6 (Assigned on November 13, 2007; due at 5pm on November 29, 2007 at Torgerson 2160B)
Assignment 7 (Assigned on November 20, 2007; due at 5pm on December 7, 2007)
Winners of the best project award
- Jamel Toms, Gregory Smith, Doguhan Uluca for The Spot, a database storing and maintaining information about night life spots all throughout Blacksburg.
- Nicholas Dallamora, Trevor Persing, Mark White for Students for Downtown Research a database covering different mixed drinks.

Help with PostgreSQL

Practice Problems

SQL queries (Handout 1, August 28, 2007)
E/R diagrams (Handout 2, September 20, 2007)
Normalisation (Handout 3, October 30, 2007)
Questions on E/R diagrams (courtesy Naren Ramakrishnan)

Previous Exams

Instructors in previous years covered topics in different orders, so do not be alarmed by questions in midterms that you are unable to answer now, specifically those on functional and multi-valued dependencies and on BCNF, 3NF, and 4NF.

Midterm Exams

Spring 1999 Midterm (some underlines are missing on page 8: "a" is underlined in R, "a,d" is underlined in S and "a,d" is underlined in T.
Fall 1999 Midterm
Spring 2000 Midterm, Solutions
Fall 2000 Midterm
Spring 2001 Midterm, Solutions
Fall 2002 Midterm
Fall 2005 Midterm, Solutions
Fall 2006 Midterm, Solutions

Final Exams

Schedule

This schedule is subject to continuous change throughout the semester.
FCDB = "A First Course in Database Systems," the textbook for the class.

Date	Day	Topic	Reading	Homework/ Assignment
August 21, 2007	Tuesday	Introduction and Course Logistics	FCDB, Chapter 1
August 23, 2007	Thursday	The Relational Model	FCDB, Chapter 3.1	Project assignment 1
August 28, 2007	Tuesday	SQL and Relational Algebra Handout 1	FCDB, Chapters 5.1, 5.2.1-5.2.8, 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.2.1, 6.2.5
August 30, 2007	Thursday	Subqueries in SQL	FCDB, Chapters 5.2.9, 5.2.10, 6.2.2-6.2.4, 6.3	Project assignment 1 due Homework 1
September 4, 2007	Tuesday	Subqueries continued (no lecture notes)
September 6, 2007	Thursday	Attend A Concert for Virginia Tech
September 11, 2007	Tuesday	Data Definition using SQL	FCDB, Chapter 6.5--6.7	Homework 1 due Project assignment 2
September 13, 2007	Thursday	Constraints in Relational Algebra and SQL	FCDB, Chapter 5.5, 7.1--7.3
September 18, 2007	Tuesday	Bags vs. Sets, Extended Operators, Views	FCDB, Chapter 5.3, 6.1.3--6.1.6	Project assignment 2 due Homework 2
September 20, 2007	Thursday	Entity-Relationship (E/R) Models	FCDB, Chapter 2.1.1-2.1.6, 2.1.9
September 25, 2007	Tuesday	E/R Models Continued	FCDB, Chapter 2.1.7-2.1.8, 2.1.10-2.1.11	Homework 2 due Project assignment 3
September 27, 2007	Thursday	E/R Model Designs	FCDB, Chapter 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
October 2, 2007	Tuesday	E/R Model Constraints		Homework 3
October 4, 2007	Thursday	The Relational Model, Converting E/R Models to Relational Designs	FCDB, Chapter 3.1-3.3	Project assignment 3 due
October 9, 2007	Tuesday	Midterm review		Homework 3 due
October 11, 2007	Thursday	Midterm examination
October 16, 2007	Tuesday	Discussion of solutions to midterm exam		Project assignment 4
October 18, 2007	Thursday	Functional Dependencies	FCDB, Chapter 3.4-3.5
October 23, 2007	Tuesday	Manipulating Functional Dependencies, Closures, Keys		Project assignment 4 due Homework 4
October 25, 2007	Thursday	Cancelled
October 30, 2007	Tuesday	BCNF and Normalisation	FCDB, Chapter 3.6	Homework 4 due Project assignment 5
November 1, 2007	Thursday	Practice problems Handout 3
November 6, 2007	Tuesday	Completing the Normalisation Algorithm		Project assignment 5 due
November 8, 2007	Thursday	3NF		Homework 5
November 13, 2007	Tuesday	Multivalued Dependencies and 4NF	FCDB, Chapter 3.7	Project assignment 6
November 15, 2007	Thursday	Practice problems Handout 3		Homework 5 due
November 20, 2007	Tuesday	Thanksgiving week, no classes		Project assignment 7
November 22, 2007	Thursday	Thanksgiving week, no classes
November 27, 2007	Tuesday	Self study
November 29, 2007	Thursday	Self study		Project assignment 6 due
December 4, 2007	Tuesday	Review for final examination
December 7, 2007	Friday	5pm, Project assignment 7 due
December 10, 2007	Monday	Final examination, 7pm-9pm,

Last modified: Mon Dec 17 11:15:28 EST 2007