Patent ID: 7043461

Claim:
A computer implemented process for developing a model for business applications which predicts the value of a single dependent variable based on the value of at least one independent variable comprising the steps of: (a) providing a dataset containing a plurality of observations each containing a value for said dependent variable and values for said at least one independent variable; (b) creating from said dataset of an initial generation of chromosomes each comprising a predictive model, said chromosome creating step comprising forming a chromosome having a plurality of observed variable segments each formed by a plurality of genes, a plurality of interaction segments each formed by a plurality of genes, and an intercept gene positioned after said plurality of interaction segments; wherein each interaction segment consists of the following genes—an include/exclude gene, a coefficient gene, a first variable gene, an operator gene and a second variable gene; (c) determining a quantitative fitness measure for each chromosome in said initial generation; and (d) creating a next generation of chromosomes by selecting a number of chromosomes from said initial generation, crossing said selected chromosomes by at least one of a cloning and a crossover technique, and mutating said chromosomes.