Apparatus for determining association variables

A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to identify an association variable associated with a set of temporal onsets, the computer-program mechanism including:

• instructions for selecting a subset of the set of temporal onsets based on one or more characteristics of different type of events associated with the set of temporal onsets, wherein the different types of events include an event and a recurrence event, wherein the subset include one or more first onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the event, wherein the set of temporal onsets includes the subset and one or more second onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the recurrence event, wherein the one or more characteristics of the recurrence event include that a given instance of the recurrence event corresponds to a given temporal onset in a given group of two or more temporal onsets in the set of temporal onsets that is within a predefined time interval after an initial temporal onset in the given group of two or more temporal onsets, and wherein the group of two or more temporal onsets can be associated with a single instance of the event;
• instructions for determining a statistical relationship between the subset and a pattern of occurrence of the variable in an underdetermined problem in which there are more variables than temporal onsets in the set of temporal onsets, wherein a severity of the underdetermined problem is increased by excluding the one or more temporal onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the recurrence event;
• and
• instructions for identifying the variable as the association variable in accordance with the statistical relationship.

A method for identifying an association variable associated with a set of temporal onsets, the method comprising:

• selecting a subset of the set of temporal onsets based on one or more characteristics of different type of events associated with the set of temporal onsets, wherein the different types of events include an event and a recurrence event, wherein the subset include one or more first onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the event, wherein the set of temporal onsets includes the subset and one or more second onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the recurrence event, wherein the one or more characteristics of the recurrence event include that a given instance of the recurrence event corresponds to a given temporal onset in a given group of two or more temporal onsets in the set of temporal onsets that is within a predefined time interval after an initial temporal onset in the given group of two or more temporal onsets, and wherein the group of two or more temporal onsets can be associated with a single instance of the event;
• determining a statistical relationship between the subset and a pattern of occurrence of the variable in an underdetermined problem in which there are more variables than temporal onsets in the set of temporal onsets, wherein a severity of the underdetermined problem is increased by excluding the one or more temporal onsets corresponding to one or more instances of the recurrence event;
• and
• identifying the variable as the association variable in accordance with the statistical relationship.