Generating and merging keys for grouping and differentiating volumes of files

In a computing system environment, a method of differentiating a plurality of files stored on one or more computing devices, each file having a plurality of symbols representing an underlying data stream of original bits of data, comprising:

• compressing each file from the plurality of files, and during the compressing generating a plurality of individual keys one key for each said plurality of files and each key representing symbol patterns for information content in the file to which it relates, wherein each individual key for each file is an algorithmic sum of other smaller keys for that file, and wherein each key is summed to include the other smaller keys as addends within that key;
• converting and merging the plurality of individual keys into a single set key that reflects all the symbol patterns occurring over the files, and each individual key is processed for deriving a specific digital spectrum for a given file for which it represents, and each individual key compared to remaining keys for providing a relationship for the file to which that individual key relates relative to each of remaining ones of the files and those remaining files' keys;
• and
• generating a digital spectrum in a multi-dimensional space using only the single set key.

In a computing system environment, a method of merging a plurality of individual keys each corresponding to a plurality of files stored into one set key, comprising:

• compressing each file from the plurality of files, and during the compressing creating the plurality of individual keys each key corresponding to one file of the plurality of files and each key representing symbol patterns for information content in the file to which it relates, and each individual key for each file is an algorithmic sum of other smaller keys for that file, and wherein each key is summed to include the other smaller keys as addends within that key;
• summing and merging each of the plurality of individual keys for each file of the plurality of files into the single set key having fewer symbol entries than a combined number of symbol entries for the plurality of individual keys, wherein the single set key reflects all the symbol patterns occurring over the files representing information content for the plurality of files, and each individual key is processed for deriving a specific digital spectrum for a given file for which it represents, and each individual key is compared to remaining keys for providing a relationship for the file to which that individual key relates relative to each of remaining ones of the files and those remaining files' keys;
• and
• using the set key to create a digital spectrum for each of the plurality of files.