Decomposable ranking for efficient precomputing

A system for generating a set of rules used to provide preliminary rankings to documents, the system comprising:

• a ranking server configured for:
• analyzing a final ranking function used to calculate final rankings for a plurality of documents;
• from the final ranking function, identifying potential preliminary ranking features that include one or more static ranking features that are query independent and one or more dynamic atom-isolated components that are related to a single atom, wherein the preliminary ranking features are identified from the ranking function prior to receiving search queries;
• selecting from the potential preliminary ranking features one or more preliminary ranking features to use for a preliminary ranking function;
• using at least the one or more preliminary ranking features, generating a set of rules that is used to provide a preliminary ranking for the plurality of documents prior to receiving search queries, wherein providing a preliminary ranking comprises:
• utilizing the set of rules to identify a subset of the plurality of documents;
• and
• communicating document identifications associated with the subset of the plurality of documents to the final ranking function for final ranking.

One or more computer storage memory storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for generating a set of rules used to provide preliminary rankings to documents, the method comprising:

• analyzing a final ranking function used to calculate final rankings for a plurality of documents;
• from the final ranking function, identifying potential preliminary ranking features that include one or more static ranking features that are query independent and one or more dynamic atom-isolated components that are related to a single atom, wherein the preliminary ranking features are identified from the ranking function prior to receiving search queries;
• selecting from the potential preliminary ranking features one or more preliminary ranking features to use for a preliminary ranking function;
• and
• using at least the one or more preliminary ranking features, generating a set of rules that are used to provide a preliminary ranking for the plurality of documents prior to receiving search queries, wherein providing a preliminary ranking comprises:
• utilizing the set of rules to identify a subset of the plurality of documents;
• and
• communicating document identifications associated with the subset of the plurality of documents to the final ranking function for final ranking.