Struggling to wrap my head around this Database Query

Question

I am completing Stanford's Relational Algebra course and am having a hard time understanding one of the questions, although I have got the answer.

Here is the schema:

/* Delete the tables if they already exist */
drop table if exists Person;
drop table if exists Frequents;
drop table if exists Eats;
drop table if exists Serves;

/* Create the schema for our tables */
create table Person(name text, age int, gender text);
create table Frequents(name text, pizzeria text);
create table Eats(name text, pizza text);
create table Serves(pizzeria text, pizza text, price decimal);

/* Populate the tables with our data */
insert into Person values('Amy', 16, 'female');
insert into Person values('Ben', 21, 'male');
insert into Person values('Cal', 33, 'male');
insert into Person values('Dan', 13, 'male');
insert into Person values('Eli', 45, 'male');
insert into Person values('Fay', 21, 'female');
insert into Person values('Gus', 24, 'male');
insert into Person values('Hil', 30, 'female');
insert into Person values('Ian', 18, 'male');

insert into Frequents values('Amy', 'Pizza Hut');
insert into Frequents values('Ben', 'Pizza Hut');
insert into Frequents values('Ben', 'Chicago Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Cal', 'Straw Hat');
insert into Frequents values('Cal', 'New York Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Dan', 'Straw Hat');
insert into Frequents values('Dan', 'New York Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Eli', 'Straw Hat');
insert into Frequents values('Eli', 'Chicago Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Fay', 'Dominos');
insert into Frequents values('Fay', 'Little Caesars');
insert into Frequents values('Gus', 'Chicago Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Gus', 'Pizza Hut');
insert into Frequents values('Hil', 'Dominos');
insert into Frequents values('Hil', 'Straw Hat');
insert into Frequents values('Hil', 'Pizza Hut');
insert into Frequents values('Ian', 'New York Pizza');
insert into Frequents values('Ian', 'Straw Hat');
insert into Frequents values('Ian', 'Dominos');

insert into Eats values('Amy', 'pepperoni');
insert into Eats values('Amy', 'mushroom');
insert into Eats values('Ben', 'pepperoni');
insert into Eats values('Ben', 'cheese');
insert into Eats values('Cal', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Dan', 'pepperoni');
insert into Eats values('Dan', 'cheese');
insert into Eats values('Dan', 'sausage');
insert into Eats values('Dan', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Dan', 'mushroom');
insert into Eats values('Eli', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Eli', 'cheese');
insert into Eats values('Fay', 'mushroom');
insert into Eats values('Gus', 'mushroom');
insert into Eats values('Gus', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Gus', 'cheese');
insert into Eats values('Hil', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Hil', 'cheese');
insert into Eats values('Ian', 'supreme');
insert into Eats values('Ian', 'pepperoni');

insert into Serves values('Pizza Hut', 'pepperoni', 12);
insert into Serves values('Pizza Hut', 'sausage', 12);
insert into Serves values('Pizza Hut', 'cheese', 9);
insert into Serves values('Pizza Hut', 'supreme', 12);
insert into Serves values('Little Caesars', 'pepperoni', 9.75);
insert into Serves values('Little Caesars', 'sausage', 9.5);
insert into Serves values('Little Caesars', 'cheese', 7);
insert into Serves values('Little Caesars', 'mushroom', 9.25);
insert into Serves values('Dominos', 'cheese', 9.75);
insert into Serves values('Dominos', 'mushroom', 11);
insert into Serves values('Straw Hat', 'pepperoni', 8);
insert into Serves values('Straw Hat', 'cheese', 9.25);
insert into Serves values('Straw Hat', 'sausage', 9.75);
insert into Serves values('New York Pizza', 'pepperoni', 8);
insert into Serves values('New York Pizza', 'cheese', 7);
insert into Serves values('New York Pizza', 'supreme', 8.5);
insert into Serves values('Chicago Pizza', 'cheese', 7.75);
insert into Serves values('Chicago Pizza', 'supreme', 8.5);

I am struggling to wrap my head around Question 6. The question reads: Find all pizzas that are eaten only by people younger than 24, or that cost less than $10 everywhere they're served.

Now, I understand the query. It is basically divided into two parts:

1. Pizzas eaten by people younger than 24
2. Pizzas costing less than 10$

I even understand the answer i.e. the Union of (difference between all pizzas served and pizzas costing greater than equal to 10$) and (difference between all all pizzas eaten by people and those eaten by people greater than equal to 24 years of age)

(\project_{pizza} (Serves) \diff \project_{pizza} (\select_{price>='10'} Serves))
\union
(\project_{pizza} (Eats) \diff \project_{pizza} (\select_{age>='24'} Person \join Eats))

However, I cannot understand why the opposite query does not give the same answer i.e. Union of (pizzas costing less than 10$) and (pizzas eaten by people less than the age of 24).

(\project_{pizza} (\select_{price<'10'} Serves))
\union
(\project_{pizza} (\select_{age<'24'} Person \join Eats))

Why does the second query give an answer that is different from the first. According to me, they should both give the same answer.

All replies appreciated.

Answer 1

Your first query finds pizzas that

does not cost more that $10 anywhere, or is not eaten by any people aged 24 or above,

while your last query fins pizzas that

is sold for less than $10 somewhere, or is eaten by some people below 24.

These queries will give diffrent result for pizzas that are sold for less than $10 at some places and more than $10 other places, or that are eaten by some people younger than 24 and some older.