HYBRID SOLVER FOR DATA-DRIVEN ANALYTICS

• US 20100131255A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Rubin, Darryl E., Mital, Vijay, Colle, Olivier, Green, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A complex solver that is able to solve a diverse variety of model analytics. Upon identifying the various input variable(s) and output variable(s) of the model variables, if a straight forward solve is not to be performed, it is determined whether the model analytics is to be inverted such that a forward solve can be performed. For instance, it might not be known generally, or at least to the solver, how to invert a particular equation of other model analytics. If the model analytics is to be inverted, the model analytics is inverted, and the forward solve is performed. On the other hand, if the inversion of the model analytics is not to be performed, then a numerical analysis solve is performed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for solving model analytics having a plurality of model variables, the method comprising:

an act of identifying which of the plurality of model variables of model analytics are input variable(s) for a particular solve, and which of the plurality of model variables are output variable(s) for a particular solve;

an act of automatically determining whether or not the model analytics is to be inverted for the particular solve such that a forward solve may solve for the output variable(s), and if so, an act of inverting the model analytics and an act of solving for the output variable(s) using the inverted model analytics; and

if it is determined that the model analytics are not to be inverted for the particular solve, an act of solving for the output variables using numerical methods for the particular solve.

2. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an act of automatically determining whether or not a forward solve of the output variable(s) for the particular solve is to be performed given the input variable(s) without first inverting the model analytics, and if so, an act of automatically performing the forward solve of the output variable(s).

3. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of automatically determining is performed if it is determined that a forward solve for the output variable(s) is not to be performed for the particular solve at least not without first inverting the model analytics.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the input variable(s) may change from one solve to the next.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the identity of the output variable(s) may change from one solve to the next.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the output variable(s) may change from one solve to the next.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the plurality of model variable(s) may change from one solve to the next.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the model analytics changes from one solve to the next.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the model analytics includes one or more equations.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the model analytics includes one or more constraints.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the model analytics includes one or more rules.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the input variable(s) and the identity of the output variable(s) of the plurality of model variables is dependent on a data bind operation.

13. A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for solving for model analytics having a plurality of model variables, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

one or more inversion determination computer-executable instructions for determining whether or not the model analytics is to be inverted for a particular solve;

one or more inversion computer-executable instructions for inverting model analytics that are executed when the execution of the one or more inversion determination computer-executable instructions results in a determination that the model analytics is to be inverted;

one or more numerical determination computer-executable instructions for determining whether or not the model analytics is to be numerically solved for a particular solve; and

one or more numerical solve computer-executable instructions for solving the model analytics using numerical methods that are executed if the execution of the one or more numerical determination computer-executable instructions results in a determination that the model analytics is to be numerically solved.

14. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, the as computer-executable instructions further comprising:

one or more forward solve computer-executable instructions configured to forward solve the model analytics, whether the model analytics has been inverted or not.

15. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable media comprises removable storage media.

16. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable media further comprise:

one or more output variable identification computer-executable instructions for identifying which of a plurality of model variables of the model analytics are input variable(s), and which of the plurality of model variables are output variables.

17. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the identity of the plurality of model variables may change from one solve to the next.

18. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the identity of the input variables(s) may change from one solve to the next.

19. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate in memory the following:

a solver that

     1) maintains a dependency graph of model analytics that has a plurality of model variables,

     2) identifies for each solve operation which of the plurality of model variables are input variables, and which of the plurality of model variables are output variables, and

     3) manages the solve operation;

a forward solver that is configured to solve model analytics that are properly presented so as to be forward solvable;

a symbolic solver that is configured to rewrite model analytics so as to be forward solvable; and

a numeric solver that is configured to solve model analytics using numeric methods,

wherein the solver is configured to manage the solve operation by performing the following for the solve operation;

an act of determining whether or not a forward solve of the output variable(s) is to be performed given the input variable(s) without first inverting the model analytics, and if so, an act of causing the forward solver to perform the forward solve of the output variable(s);

if it is determined that the forward solve of the output variable(s) is not to be performed for the particular solve at least not without first inverting the model analytics, an act of determining whether or not the model analytics is to be inverted for the particular solve such that a forward solve may solve for the output variable(s), and if so, an act of causing the symbolic solver to invert the model analytics and thereafter an act of causing the forward solver to solve for the output variable(s) using the inverted model analytics; and

if it is determined that the model analytics are not to be inverted for the particular solve, an act of causing the numeric solver to solve for the output variable(s) using numerical methods.

20. The computer program product in accordance with claim 19, wherein the one or more computer-readable media is/are physical computer-readable media.