# US 8,572,005 B2 · Representation of a set of numeric values in a computerized environment

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- Number: US 8,572,005 B2
- Document ID: US8572005B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/639,019
- Filed: 2009-12-16
- Published: 2011-06-16
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-16
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: Michael Veksler
- Inventors: Michael Veksler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8572005B2

## CPC

- G06F 11/3684: {for test design, e.g. generating new test cases}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A set of numeric values may be represented using a data structure. The data structure is a graph having a root and leaves. A route in the data structure may represent a mask that represents a set of values. A mask may represent a term in a DNF representation of numeric values. A mask may represent numeric values that correspond to limitations set by the mask, such as having a predetermined value in a predetermined digit. The data structure comprises edges and nodes, each may be associated with a label. The label may represent a portion of a mask.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data structure comprising a Disjunctive Normal Form (DNF) representation of a set of values, the data structure embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable media, the data structure comprising:
a plurality of nodes comprising a root and a leaf;
a plurality of edges, each edge of the plurality of edges connecting two nodes of said plurality of nodes;
a plurality of labels, each of the plurality of labels is associated with an element selected from the group consisting of a node that is comprised by said plurality of nodes and an edge that is comprised by said plurality of edges;
wherein a first label of said plurality of labels includes a don't care symbol which represents a group of two or more alternative assignments to a digit; and
wherein a route between the root and the leaf represents a mask that groups a portion of the set of values, the route comprises a sequence of nodes comprised by said plurality of nodes which are connected by connecting edges that are comprised by said plurality of edges, the mask is defined by a list of labels of said plurality of labels associated with the sequence of nodes and the connecting edges.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein:
the set of values is represented in a base-X number system domain, each value of the set of values is represented by an at least one digit; and
each label of the plurality of labels represents an at least one assignment to a portion of the at least one digit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The data structure of claim 2, wherein the base-X number system domain is a base-2 number system domain.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The data structure of claim 3, wherein the at least one assignment is selected from the group consisting of zero, one and “don't care”.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein the first label of said plurality of labels is associated with a first edge of said plurality of edges.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The data structure of claim 5, wherein a second label of said plurality of labels is associated with a second edge of said plurality of edges, both the first edge and the second edge are outgoing edges associated with one node of said plurality of edges, the second label represents at least a portion of the alternative assignments to the digit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein the data structure is selected from a group consisting of a tree and a directed acyclic graph.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein a portion of said plurality of labels is selected from a group consisting of null entry and mask entry; the mask entry comprises an at least one digit having a value selected from the group consisting of zero, one and don't care.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A CSP solver comprising the data structure of claim 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein each route between the route and any leaf of the data structure represents a different mask which is determined based on labels associated with a respective sequence of nodes and connecting edges.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The data structure of claim 1, wherein the first label is associated with two or more digits.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The data structure of claim 11, wherein the don't care symbol is associated with one digit of the two or more digits.