Abstract: A method for generating a list of recommendations to be supplied by a vendor to a prospective customer by the use of a computer comprising the steps of inputting into a searchable data set a plurality of products and attributes of each product. A product is. The attributes of the selected product are ascertained. All products are ascertained that match at least one of the attributes of the selected product to provide looked-up products. From the looked-up products then are selected all products that are the closest match to the selected product to provide best matches. An output list of best matches of correlated products from the looked-up products is generated.

Abstract: A facility for analyzing user behavior information is described. The facility receives a stream, of user behavior information. The facility augments a representation of user behavior in accordance with the received stream of user behavior information. The representation augmented by the facility is a sparse matrix of user behavior facts. The facility analyzes the sparse matrix to obtain an analysis result for the received stream of user behavior.

Abstract: A facility for evaluating an advertising strategy with respect to a subject website is described. The facility receives a specification of the advertising strategy. The specification indicates how to apply the advertising strategy to select one of a plurality of advertising campaigns in response to each page request against the subject website. The facility applies the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to a sequence of page requests earlier received against the subject website. The facility then assesses the results of applying the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to the earlier-received page requests.

Abstract: An expanded queries data structure is described. The data structure is produced on the basis of a set of seed queries, and consists of entries each specifying an expanded query submitted by a user that has been determined to have a high degree of relatedness to at least a plurality of the seed queries of the set. The expanded queries specified by the entries of the expanded queries data structure can be used to define a segment of users expected to have interests characterized by the seed queries.

Abstract: A computer memory attached to a user computer system that is used by a user is described. The memory contains an advertising characterization data structure that can be used to select advertising for the user. The data structure contains a identifier passed to the user computer system by a remote computer system. The identifier is mapped by a dictionary that is resident on the remote computer system to a set of actions performed by the user.

Abstract: A facility for defining a group of people is described. The facility provides a visual user interface containing a control for receiving a query string. The facility receives a query string via the control, and uses an index on a body of documents to identify documents of the body that satisfy the received query string. The facility accesses a record indicating which documents of the body were accessed by each of a population of people during a foregoing time period to identify people among the population that accessed at least a threshold number of the identified documents during the foregoing time period. The facility displays within the visual user interface, in conjunction with the control, information characterizing the people identified.

Abstract: A facility for delivering a user segment displays an ordered set of steps making up a process, and receives user input selecting one of the displayed steps of the process. In response to receiving the user input, the facility creates a new user segment definition. The created user segment definition establishes a segment to include those users that complete the displayed process through the selected step.

Abstract: A computer memory attached to a user computer system that is used by a user is described. The memory contains an advertising characterization data structure that can be used to select advertising for the user. The data structure contains a identifier passed to the user computer system by a remote computer system. The identifier is mapped by a dictionary that is resident on the remote computer system to a set of actions performed by the user.

Abstract: A facility for identifying users that have an interest in a selected subject is described. For each of a number of actual users, the facility establishes a user behavior record describing the behavior of the actual user. The facility also establishes a user behavior record describing behavior of a virtual user. The behavior described by the user behavior record for the virtual user is made up of actions each tending to indicate an interest in the selected subject. The facility identifies a proper subset of the actual users whose user behavior records are most similar to the user behavior record of the virtual user as interested in the selected subject.

Abstract: A facility for selecting an advertising message to present to a user via a selected device in connection with a selected instance of electronic content presented via the device is described. For the selected instance of electronic content, as well as any other instances of electronic content that were previously presented via the selected device during an immediately preceding period of time of preselected length, the facility distinguishes any subjects identified as corresponding to the instance of electronic content. Among a number of advertising messages, the facility distinguishes advertising messages identified as corresponding to any of the distinguished subjects. The facility weights each of the distinguished advertising messages based upon its expected level of performance, and randomly selects one of the distinguished advertising messages in accordance with their weights for presentation in connection with the selected instance of electronic content via the selected device.

Abstract: An expanded queries data structure is described. The data structure is produced on the basis of a set of seed queries, and consists of entries each specifying an expanded query submitted by a user that has been determined to have a high degree of relatedness to at least a plurality of the seed queries of the set. The expanded queries specified by the entries of the expanded queries data structure can be used to define a segment of users expected to have interests characterized by the seed queries.

Abstract: A facility for defining a group of people is described. The facility provides a visual user interface containing a control for receiving a query string. The facility receives a query string via the control, and uses an index on a body of documents to identify documents of the body that satisfy the received query string. The facility accesses a record indicating which documents of the body were accessed by each of a population of people during a foregoing time period to identify people among the population that accessed at least a threshold number of the identified documents during the foregoing time period. The facility displays within the visual user interface, in conjunction with the control, information characterizing the people identified.

Abstract: A facility for selecting an advertising message to present to a user via a selected device in connection with a selected instance of electronic content presented via the device is described. For the selected instance of electronic content, as well as any other instances of electronic content that were previously presented via the selected device during an immediately preceding period of time of preselected length, the facility distinguishes any subjects identified as corresponding to the instance of electronic content. Among a number of advertising messages, the facility distinguishes advertising messages identified as corresponding to any of the distinguished subjects. The facility weights each of the distinguished advertising messages based upon its expected level of performance, and randomly selects one of the distinguished advertising messages in accordance with their weights for presentation in connection with the selected instance of electronic content via the selected device.

Abstract: A facility for analyzing user behavior information is described. The facility receives a stream of user behavior information. The facility augments a representation of user behavior in accordance with the received stream of user behavior information. The representation augmented by the facility is a sparse matrix of user behavior facts. The facility analyzes the sparse matrix to obtain an analysis result for the received stream of user behavior.

Abstract: A facility for selecting an advertising message to present to a user via a selected device in connection with a selected instance of electronic content presented via the device is described. For the selected instance of electronic content, as well as any other instances of electronic content that were previously presented via the selected device during an immediately preceding period of time of preselected length, the facility distinguishes any subjects identified as corresponding to the instance of electronic content. Among a number of advertising messages, the facility distinguishes advertising messages identified as corresponding to any of the distinguished subjects. The facility weights each of the distinguished advertising messages based upon its expected level of performance, and randomly selects one of the distinguished advertising messages in accordance with their weights for presentation in connection with the selected instance of electronic content via the selected device.

Abstract: A facility for Performing on-line advertising at a subject web site relative to a selected user activity is described. The facility receives a plurality of bids. Each bid is submitted on behalf of an advertiser, and specifies an advertising rate that the advertiser will pay to display an advertising messages to users performing the selected activity with respect to the subject web site. When a request for any web page of the subject web site containing advertising space is received from a user that has previously performed the selected activity, irrespective of the identity of the requested web page, the facility both (1) identifies the received bid specifying the largest advertising rate, and (2) causes an advertising message to be displayed in the advertising space of the requested web page for the advertiser on whose behalf the identified bid was submitted.

Abstract: A facility for identifying users that have an interest in a selected subject is described. For each of a number of actual users, the facility establishes a user behavior record describing the behavior of the actual user. The facility also establishes a user behavior record describing behavior of a virtual user. The behavior described by the user behavior record for the virtual user is made up of actions each tending to indicate an interest in the selected subject. The facility identifies a proper subset of the actual users whose user behavior records are most similar to the user behavior record of the virtual user as interested in the selected subject.

Abstract: A facility for Performing on-line advertising at a subject web site relative to a selected user activity is described. The facility receives a plurality of bids. Each bid is submitted on behalf of an advertiser, and specifies an advertising rate that the advertiser will pay to display an advertising messages to users performing the selected activity with respect to the subject web site. When a request for any web page of the subject web site containing advertising space is received from a user that has previously performed the selected activity, irrespective of the identity of the requested web page, the facility both (1) identifies the received bid specifying the largest advertising rate, and (2) causes an advertising message to be displayed in the advertising space of the requested web page for the advertiser on whose behalf the identified bid was submitted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to dynamically partition a set-associative memory device is described. The apparatus includes a set identification device to specify a group of set-associative data blocks in a cache memory or translation-lookaside buffer. A block replacement logic circuit is used to identify replaceable blocks within the set-associative data blocks that can store new information. The block replacement logic circuit is also used to identify un-replaceable blocks within the set-associative data blocks that cannot store new information. The block replacement logic circuit only writes new information to the replaceable blocks of the set-associative data blocks. The block replacement logic circuit can be implemented using a block replacement mask to identify within the set-associative data blocks the replaceable blocks and the un-replaceable blocks.