Method and apparatus for predicting object properties and events using similarity-based information retrieval and modeling

Processor search manager apparatus for storing and organizing information stored in at least one database, the processor search manager apparatus using a tree-structured index to find and retrieve stored objects having stored attributes similar to attributes of a target object to mine the at least one database for data leading to a prediction of a property of the target object, the processor search manager apparatus comprising a processor and a memory for storing the at least one database, the processor search manager apparatus further comprising:

• an input device for receiving input data describing attributes associated with at least three objects to the at least one database and input data describing attributes of the target object, the at least three objects and the target object comprising at least three variables;
• the at least one database for storing the attribute data associated with said at least three objects;
• the processor for referencing said attribute data of the at least three objects using a tree-structured index determined by multivariate statistical analysis and applying multivariate statistical analysis and clustering to said stored information and received attribute data of the at least three objects to determine the tree-structured index for indexing and searching said at least one database;
• the at least one database for storing the tree-structured index determined by said multivariate statistical analysis and clustering and referencing said attribute data in said at least one database;
• the processor using said determined tree-structured index to find and retrieve a number of stored objects less than a total number of stored objects having attribute data similar to the attribute data of the target object;
• the processor for constructing at least one model of attribute data of the retrieved stored objects using the number of retrieved stored objects:
• and
• the processor applying said at least one model of the attribute data of the retrieved stored objects to obtain a predicted property of the target object for output to an output device, the predicted property being one of a geographic region, an environment, a fire event, a process failure, a pattern of criminal or fraudulent activity, a composition of particles, an isotope ratio, an ethnic origin, a frequency, an identity of a manufacturer and a source location associated with the target object.