Identification of events of search queries

A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computing device to identify events of a query, by a method comprising:

• identifying sequences of intervals of the query in which the frequency of the query is above a baseline threshold frequency, in which an interval with a maximum frequency of the sequence is above a climax threshold frequency, and in which no interval between the interval with the maximum frequency and closest intervals with frequencies above the climax threshold frequency have a frequency that is below a split event threshold, the frequency for an interval representing number of queries associated with that interval;
• designating each identified sequence as an event of the query;
• when two events satisfy a merge events criterion, merging the two events into a single event;
• and
• for at least one event,
• identifying items of search results of queries submitted during the event;
• and
• designating the items as an explanation for the event.

A computing device for identifying events of a query, comprising:

• a frequency store storing frequency of the query at intervals, the stored frequency for an interval representing number of queries submitted during that interval;
• a memory storing computer-executable instructions of
• a component that identifies as candidate events sequences of intervals in which the frequency satisfies a baseline criterion with an interval that satisfies a climax criterion;
• a component that merges candidate events when the sequence of intervals satisfies a merge events criterion;
• a component that splits candidate events when an interval between two intervals that satisfy the climax criterion satisfies a split event criterion;
• and
• a component that provides an explanation of an event based on selection of search results of the query;
• and
• a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory
• wherein a query is represented by a sequence of its events.