Abstract: A system and method for information retrieval includes an input device, a storage device, an output device, and a data file stored in the storage device including n data records, and one or more index files having data corresponding to a key value comprising information derived from a data record, and the record number of the data record containing the data from which the key value is derived. The retrieval system further includes memory for storing a temporary solution bitmask n bits in length where each bit corresponds to a record in the data file and logic for accessing the data file ascertaining the record number for each data record corresponding to a key value which satisfies the search criteria, and logic for setting the bit corresponding to that record number in the temporary solution bitmask.