Could you explain the concept of denormalization in databases and its main advantages?

Denormalization in a database is the process of intentionally adding redundant data to improve query performance. Unlike normalization, which aims to minimize data duplication, denormalization simplifies the data structure by reducing the number of joins between tables.

The main advantages of denormalization:

• Faster data reading by reducing the number of JOINs.
• Simplified queries and retrieval logic.
• Increased performance in systems with a high volume of read operations.

However, denormalization increases the complexity of data updates, as it requires maintaining consistency of duplicated information.

Example: instead of storing a user's address in a separate table, it can be added directly to the orders table to quickly retrieve the address without an additional JOIN.