Abstract: Alternative routes to an optimal route may be determined and presented to a user via a computing device. Alternative routes are selected from candidate routes that meet admissibility criteria. In an implementation, admissibility of a candidate route (in order for it to be considered an alternative route) may be determined based on three criteria: “limited sharing”, “local optimality”, and “stretch” such as “uniformly bounded stretch”. Limited sharing refers to the amount of difference between the alternative route and the optimal route, local optimality refers to lack of unnecessary detours, and uniformly bounded stretch refers to a length of the shortest path to travel between two points on the alternative route.

Abstract: Entities that answer questions are organized into entity groups. An interface determines an answer to a question from one of the entity groups with a confidence that is greater than a second confidence threshold. To determine the answer, the interface performs an exploration phase where the interface asks the question to each of the entity groups. Entity groups that provide answers with a confidence that is greater than a first confidence threshold are selected for a subset. The interface enters an exploitation phase where the question is asked of the entity groups in the subset. If an answer is determined with a confidence that is greater than the second confidence threshold, then the answer is provided. If no answer is determined before a duration of time expires, then the interface enters a rollback phase where all of the entity groups are considered.

Abstract: Links to web content can be identified as a function of one or more links shared by a user of an online social network service, among other things. The identified links can represent recommended links likely to be interesting to the user. Densification techniques can be employed to address data sparsity and thus enhance link recommendation. Furthermore, recommended links can be integrated with a search engine to personalize interaction with web content.

Abstract: Hub based labeling is used, in databases, to determine a shortest path between two locations. Every point has a set of hubs: this is the label (along with the distance from the point to all those hubs). The hubs are determined that intersect the two labels. This information is used to find the shortest distance. A hub based labeling technique uses, in a database, a preprocessing stage and a query stage. Finding the hubs is performed in the preprocessing stage, and finding the intersecting hubs is performed in the query stage using relational database operators, such as SQL queries. During preprocessing, a forward label and a reverse label are defined for each vertex. The labels are generated using contraction hierarchies that may be guided by shortest path covers. A query, such as an SQL query, is processed using the labels to determine the shortest path.

Abstract: Hub based labeling is used to determine a shortest path between two locations. Every point has a set of hubs: this is the label (along with the distance from the point to all those hubs). The hubs are determined using the labels. The hubs are determined that intersect the two labels, and this information is used to find the shortest distance. A hub based labeling technique uses a preprocessing stage and a query stage. Finding the hubs is performed in the preprocessing stage, and finding the intersecting hubs (i.e., the common hubs they share) is performed in the query stage. During preprocessing, a forward label and a reverse label are defined for each vertex. The labels are generated using contraction hierarchies that may be guided by shortest path covers, and may be pruned. A query is processed using the labels to determine the shortest path.

Abstract: Alternative routes to an optimal route may be determined and presented to a user via a computing device. Alternative routes are selected from candidate routes that meet admissibility criteria. In an implementation, admissibility of a candidate route (in order for it to be considered an alternative route) may be determined based on three criteria: “limited sharing”, “local optimality”, and “stretch” such as “uniformly bounded stretch”. Limited sharing refers to the amount of difference between the alternative route and the optimal route, local optimality refers to lack of unnecessary detours, and uniformly bounded stretch refers to a length of the shortest path to travel between two points on the alternative route.

Abstract: A prediction tree for estimating values of a network performance measure. Leaf nodes of the prediction tree are associated with networked computing devices and interior nodes are not necessarily representative of physical network connections. Values are assigned to edges in the prediction tree and the network performance measure relative to two computing devices represented by two nodes of the tree is estimated by aggregating the values assigned to the edges in the path in the prediction tree joining the two edges. Mechanisms for adding nodes representing computing devices to the prediction tree, for identifying a closest node representing a computing device in the prediction tree, for identifying a cluster of devices represented by nodes of the tree, and for rebalancing the prediction tree are provided.