Define the five basic operators of relational algebra?
Five basic operators of relational algebra are:
1. Union (∪∪∪∪) - Selects tuples which are in either P or Q or in both of them. The duplicate tuples are eliminated.
R = P ∪ Q
2. Minus (-) - Removes generally common tuples from the first relation.
R = P - Q
3. Cartesian Product or Cross Product (××××) - The cartesian product of two relations is the concatenation of tuples belonging to the two relations and consisting of all probable combination of the tuples.
R = P × Q
4. Projection (ππππ) - The projection of a relation is described as a projection of all its tuples over a few set of attributes, i.e., it yields a vertical subset of the relation. It is used to either decrease the number of attributes (degree) in the resultant relation or to reorder attributes. The projection of a relation T on the attribute A is denoted through πA(T).
5. Selection (σσσσ) - Selects only some of the tuples, those satisfy given criteria, from the relation. It yields a horizontal subset of a given relation, i.e., the action is defined over a complete set of attribute names but just a subset of the tuples are involved in the result.
R = σB(P)