Patent ID: 8577704

Claim:
A computer-based method, comprising: receiving, by a computer, model specification data specifying: a dimensional operation associated with a plurality of generation methods; a dimension that corresponds to a quantity over which interval arithmetic is defined, the dimension including at least one segment; an analysis variable having an input formula for determining values of the analysis variable along the dimension; and an operational type associated with the analysis variable and the dimensional operation, the operational type specifying a generation method from the plurality of generation methods; identifying, by the computer, the generation method based on the analysis variable, the dimensional operation and the operational type; generating a first set of arguments for the input formula for a first set of one or more segments of the dimension, wherein generating the first set of arguments for the input formula for the first set of one or more segments includes generating the first set of arguments for the input formula for multiple non-overlapping ranges of the quantity; automatically generating, by the computer, an output formula from the input formula using the generation method, wherein automatically generating the output formula comprises processing the first set of arguments according to the generation method to generate a second set of arguments for the input formula for a second set of one or more segments of the dimension different from the first set of one or more segments of the dimension; and storing, by the computer, the automatically generated output formula or presenting, by the computer, a representation based on the automatically generated output formula using a user interface, wherein receiving the model specification data includes receiving model specification data specifying that the dimension be associated with a dimensional operation that combines one or more of the ranges into at least one combined range of the quantity in second set of one or more segments.