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Abstract

A computer-implemented method for comparing the contents of two sets of documents includes the step of extracting from a set of documents ?44! corresponding sets of document extract entries ?46!. The method further includes a step of generating from the sets of document extract entries ?46! corresponding sets of word clusters ?48!. Each word cluster comprises a cluster word list having N words, an N.times.N total distance matrix, and an N.times.N number of connections matrix. The preferred embodiment includes a step of grouping similar word clusters and combining the similar word clusters to form a single word cluster for each group. The grouping comprises evaluating a measure of cluster similarity between two word clusters, and placing them in a common group of similar word clusters if the measure of similarity exceeds a predetermined value. The step of evaluating cluster similarity comprises intersecting clusters to form subclusters and calculating a function of the subclusters. In the preferred embodiment, the method is implemented in a system to automatically identify database documents which are of interest to a given user or users. In this implementation, the method comprises the step of automatically deriving the first set of documents from a local data storage device, such as a user's hard disk. The method also comprises the step of deriving the second set of documents from a second data storage device, such as a network machine. This application of the invention, therefore, provides fast and accurate searching to identify documents of interest to a particular user or users without any need for the user or users to specify what search criteria to use.

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First Claim