Patent ID: 7783648

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for partitioning a dataset, the method comprising the steps of: maintaining the dataset in an electronic database, the dataset including at least ten data items, the data items containing a first attribute, the first attribute having a range of attribute values; sorting the dataset in an ascending or descending sequence by the range of attribute values present in the first attribute; generating a distribution curve for the dataset by plotting the data items in the dataset in ascending or descending sort sequence; calculating a total length of said distribution curve, the length of the distribution curve being estimated through use of the equation: Length= f (range,count)≈√{square root over ((range) 2 +(count) 2 )}{square root over ((range) 2 +(count) 2 )}, where count represents the number of data items within the dataset, and range represents the range of attribute values; dividing said distribution curve, using the total length of the distribution curve, into a plurality of equal length curve segments; and grouping said data items into a plurality of partitions, each partition comprising data items corresponding to one of said curve segments.