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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing entries stored in an electronic database where each entry comprises a succession of data values of correlated variables. The entries are processed in order to provide predictions of future data values of the correlated variables. The invention has particular application to processing data entries that relate to customers of a bank or retail business so as to predict future data values of attributes of the customers. A prior distribution over the parameters of a first of the variables is accessed from the database and data values of the first variable are used to derive a posterior distribution of the parameters of the first variable. A prior distribution over the parameters of a second of the variables is accessed from the database, the second of the variables being correlated with the first. Data values of the second variable are accessed to derive a posterior distribution of the parameters of the second variable. A statistical sampler samples the parameters of each posterior distribution to provide estimates of the parameters of the posterior distributions. Predictive distributions of the first and second variables are computed from the estimates. Predicted data values for the first and second correlated variables are then formulated from the predictive distributions and known values for the variables.

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First Claim