Method for establishing an effective variable curve of a physical effective variable of a first effective mechanism of a motor-related active chain of an internal combustion engine, comprising: obtaining an input variable curve of a physical input variable of the first effective mechanism or of a second effective mechanism, preceding the latter, of the motor-related active chain of the internal combustion engine; determining variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve on the basis of the input variable curve; establishing respectively one effective variable partial curve for each variable that is characteristic for respectively one of the input variable partial curves with the aid of an establishment specification; and determining the effective variable curve of the first effective mechanism on the basis of the established effective variable partial curves, wherein determining variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve comprises: forming an input variable curve integral of the input variable curve; decomposing the input variable curve integral into intervals; and forming the variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve on the basis of the intervals, wherein each interval is assigned to one of the input variable partial curves, wherein an effective variable partial curve of the physical effective variable for a variable that is characteristic for a first input variable partial curve is established with the aid of a first establishment specification and an effective variable partial curve of the same physical effective variable for a variable that is characteristic for a second input variable partial curve is established with the aid of a second establishment specification, which differs from the first establishment specification. obtaining an input variable curve of a physical input variable of the first effective mechanism or of a second effective mechanism, preceding the latter, of the motor-related active chain of the internal combustion engine; determining variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve on the basis of the input variable curve; establishing respectively one effective variable partial curve for each variable that is characteristic for respectively one of the input variable partial curves with the aid of an establishment specification; and determining the effective variable curve of the first effective mechanism on the basis of the established effective variable partial curves, wherein determining variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve comprises: forming an input variable curve integral of the input variable curve; decomposing the input variable curve integral into intervals; and forming the variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve on the basis of the intervals, wherein each interval is assigned to one of the input variable partial curves, forming an input variable curve integral of the input variable curve; decomposing the input variable curve integral into intervals; and forming the variables that are characteristic for respectively one input variable partial curve of the input variable curve on the basis of the intervals, wherein each interval is assigned to one of the input variable partial curves, wherein an effective variable partial curve of the physical effective variable for a variable that is characteristic for a first input variable partial curve is established with the aid of a first establishment specification and an effective variable partial curve of the same physical effective variable for a variable that is characteristic for a second input variable partial curve is established with the aid of a second establishment specification, which differs from the first establishment specification.