This chapter discusses algorithms and dependencies for relational database schema design. It covers:
1. Properties of relational decompositions, including the dependency preservation and lossless join properties. Algorithms are presented for testing these properties.
2. Multivalued dependencies and fourth normal form. The chapter describes how to decompose relations based on multivalued dependencies to achieve 4NF.
3. Join dependencies and fifth normal form. Cyclic dependencies can occur with multi-field primary keys, violating 5NF. The chapter provides an example of decomposing a relation to eliminate a cyclic dependency and achieve 5NF.