Multiple choice

To produce a meaningful result set without any cartesian products, what is the minimum number of conditions that should appear in the WHERE clause of a four-table join?

  1. 8

  2. 5

  3. 4

  4. 3

  5. 2
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D Correct answer
Explanation

To avoid cartesian products in a four-table join, you need at least 3 join conditions (n-1 for n tables). Each condition links a new table to the already-joined set, ensuring all tables are properly connected. With 4 tables, 3 conditions create a chain like T1-T2-T3-T4, preventing disconnected tables and cartesian products.

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