#normalization

Design efficient database schemas. Normalization forms: 1. 1NF (atomic values, no repeating groups). 2. 2NF (no partial dependencies). 3. 3NF (no transitive dependencies). Balance normalization with performance (denormalize for read-heavy). Design principles: Use surrogate keys (auto-increment IDs). Foreign keys for relationships. Indexes on frequently queried columns. Avoid NULL when possible. Use appropriate data types. Naming conventions (plural table names, singular columns). Document relationships (ERD diagrams). Consider ACID properties. Use constraints (UNIQUE, NOT NULL, CHECK). Plan for scalability (partitioning, sharding).