Relational Algebra
Relational algebra is a formal, procedural query language used in relational database theory to manipulate and query data stored in relational databases. It provides a set of operations (such as selection, projection, union, and join) that operate on relations (tables) to produce new relations as results. It serves as the theoretical foundation for SQL and other relational database query languages.
Developers should learn relational algebra to understand the underlying principles of how relational databases process queries, which is essential for writing efficient SQL, optimizing database performance, and designing robust data models. It is particularly useful for database administrators, data engineers, and backend developers working with complex queries, data transformations, or database theory in systems like PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle.