Data storage, retrieval, manipulation and display tools enabling multiple hierarchical points of view

Abstract

Systems and methods for data storage, retrieval, manipulation and display provide search engines and computer-based research tools for enabling multiple hierarchical points of view. Category definitions in the hierarchical data structures can include lists of set members, like word arrays of set members, generative descriptions for determining set members, and fitness functions for determining fitness of a presented item for being a member of a set. Significance and interest values can be assigned to search categories to set threshold confidence levels for returning search results and for weighting the results, respectively. A user interface can present results in the form of browsing multiple hierarchical representations, wherein matching categories are differentiated from non-matching categories. Peer ratings can represent the ranking of search term results with relation to results using other search terms, providing an indication of the fitness of the search terms for returning satisfactory results.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium and operable to cause a computer to perform searches for members of a set, the computer program comprising instructions to:
 encode a plurality of membership functions having varying levels of complexity;   receive input from a user defining user interest and attributes for the members;   choose at least one of the plurality of membership functions based on corresponding the level of complexity with the user interest;   execute the at least one membership function to determine fitness of a data element for being a member of the set based on the attributes; and   display results of the execution of the at least one membership function.   
     
     
         2 . A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium and operable to cause a computer to enable a user interface for encoding a graphical representation of an individual point of view (iPOV), the computer program comprising instructions to:
 receive input from a user defining the graphical representation and defining attributes of at least one category in the graphical representation;   obtain significance relations for the at least one category based on a placement of the at least one category in the graphical representation;   weight the attributes based on the significance relations;   generate a query based on the weighted attributes; and   display results of the query in accordance with the graphical representation.   
     
     
         3 . A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium and operable to cause a computer to perform searches for members of a set, the computer program comprising instructions to:
 encode a plurality of membership functions having varying levels of complexity;   enable a user interface for encoding a graphical representation;   receive input from a user defining the graphical representation and defining attributes of at least one category of members in the graphical representation;   obtain significance and interest relations for the at least one category based on a placement of the at least one category in the graphical representation;   weight the attributes based on the significance relations;   choose at least one of the plurality of membership functions based on corresponding the level of complexity with the interest relations;   execute the at least one membership function to determine fitness of a data element for being a member of the set based on the attributes; and   display results in accordance with the graphical representation.