Database and method for evaluating data therefrom

Abstract

A computer system for use in determining the minimum and/or maximum value of a specified subsequence of a sequence of values. The computer system comprises a database that is configured to store a sequence of values, to identify a minimum and/or maximum value of the sequence of values, and to define at least a first subsequence of values and a second subsequence of values immediately following the first subsequence of values, wherein the boundary between the first and second subsequences is located at the position of either the minimum or maximum value of the sequence.

1 . A computer system for use in determining a minimum value and/or a maximum value of a specified sequence of values that enables a user in a financial market to request a desired data range and receive only start and end data elements, the computer system comprising:
 a database that stores the specified sequence of values, to identify the minimum value and/or the maximum value of the specified sequence of values, and to define at least a first subsequence of values comprising a plurality of values, a second subsequence of values immediately following the first subsequence of values, distance measurements between the first subsequence of values and the second subsequence of values immediately following the first subsequence of values, and intermediate description values, wherein the database stores intermediate description values that are evaluated for each time step,   wherein a boundary between the first subsequence of values and the second subsequence of values is located at a position of either the minimum value or maximum value of the specified sequence of values; and   determining whether a specified subsequence spans the first subsequence of values and second subsequence of values; and   if the specified subsequence spans the first subsequence of values and second subsequence of values, extracting a value at the boundary between the first and second subsequences.   
     
     
         2 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the boundary between the first and second subsequence is located at the position of the minimum value of the specified sequence of values, and
 wherein the database:
 (i) identifies a local minimum value, corresponding to a minimum value of values following the first subsequence of values; 
 (ii) defines a third subsequence of values immediately following the second subsequence of values, wherein a boundary between the second subsequence of values and the third subsequence of values is located at a position of the local minimum value; 
 (iii) identifies a further local minimum value, corresponding to a minimum value of values following the n th  subsequence of values, where n=2; 
 (iv) defines an (n+2) th  subsequence of values immediately following the (n+1) th  subsequence of values, wherein a boundary between the (n+1) th  and the (n+2) th  subsequences is located at a position of the further local minimum value; and 
 (v) repeats steps (iii) and (iv) for all integer values of n up to n=k, wherein at n=k no further local minima are available to define a boundary between adjacent subsequences. 
   
     
     
         3 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the boundary between the first and second subsequence is located at the position of the maximum value of the sequence, and
 wherein the database:
 (i) identifies a local maximum value, corresponding to a maximum value of values following the first subsequence of values; 
 (ii) defines a third subsequence of values immediately following the second subsequence of values, wherein a boundary between the second subsequence of values and the third subsequence of values is located at a position of the local maximum value; 
 (iii) identifies a further local maximum value, corresponding to a maximum value of values following the n th  subsequence, where n=2; 
 (iv) defines an (n+2) th  subsequence of values immediately following the (n+1) th  subsequence of values, wherein the boundary between the (n+1) th  and the (n+2) th  subsequence is located at a position of the further local maximum value; and 
 (v) repeats steps (iii) and (iv) for all integer values of n up to n=k, wherein at n=k no further local maxima are available to define a boundary between adjacent subsequences. 
   
     
     
         4 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the database provides a label for each value in the first subsequence of values, the label corresponding to the value of the minimum or maximum value that lies at the boundary between the first and second subsequence. 
     
     
         5 . A computer system according to  claim 3 , wherein the database provides a label for each value in each subsequence n up to n=k, the label corresponding to a value of a local minimum value or a maximum value that lies at a boundary between the n th  and (n+1) th  subsequences. 
     
     
         6 . A computer system according to  claim 5 , wherein the database provides a label for each value in the (k+1) th  subsequence, the label corresponding to the individual value. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method of determining a minimum value and/or maximum value of a specified sequence of values that enables a user in a financial market to request a desired data range and receive only start and end data elements, the method comprising:
 (i) determining, by a computer system, the minimum and/or maximum value of the specified subsequence of values, the computer system including a database that stores the specified sequence of values, to identify the minimum value and/or the maximum value of the specified sequence of values, and to define at least a first subsequence of values comprising a plurality of values, a second subsequence of values immediately following the first subsequence of values, distance measurements between the first subsequence of values and the second subsequence of values immediately following the first subsequence of values, and intermediate description values, wherein the database stores intermediate description values that are evaluated for each time step, and wherein a boundary between the first and second subsequence is located at a position of either the minimum or maximum value of the sequence;   (ii) determining whether the specified subsequence spans the first subsequence of values and second subsequence of values; and   (iii) if the specified subsequence spans the first subsequence of values and second subsequence of values, extracting a value at the boundary between the first and second subsequences.   
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the specified subsequence has a start point and an end point, and wherein the minimum or maximum value of the specified subsequence is determined by reading the label at a location of the start point of the specified subsequence.