Redundant / partially duplicated data in a DB - how to structure?
You might get better luck on stackoverflow as you've not asked a sys admin question.

The recipe examples don't really give any useful pointers on what you're actually trying to do. If you're after info about removing duplication from a database you should look up normalization and go from there. It's a well known process.

If you're this unsure of how to use mysql with your data you need to reassess what you're doing and make sure you're picking the right tool for the job before you end up going off in the wrong direction, only to regret it later.