Patent ID: 7739085

Claim:
A method for displaying simulation results, the method comprising: performing a Monte Carlo simulation based on a simulation model comprising a plurality of input variables and at least one output variable, the Monte Carlo simulation comprising a plurality of scenarios, each of the plurality of scenarios comprising a plurality of input values for the plurality of input variables and a plurality of output values for the at least one output variable; storing, for each scenario of the plurality of scenarios, the plurality of input values and the plurality of output values; displaying a plurality of icons, uniquely corresponding to and representative of the plurality of scenarios, according to a displayed output variable of the at least one output variable, the plurality of icons arranged as a histogram comprising a plurality of columns corresponding to histogram bins for the displayed output variable, each column of the plurality of columns comprising a corresponding portion of the plurality of icons; and for each column of the plurality of columns and for each icon of the corresponding portion of the plurality of icons, determining similarity between the plurality of input values associated with the icon and a plurality of nominal input values uniquely corresponding to the plurality of input variables to provide an input similarity metric, wherein those icons of the corresponding portion of the plurality of icons having increasingly higher input similarity metrics are displayed at increasingly higher locations within each column of the plurality of columns.