Abstract: A system that builds a network using a document collection wherein the documents are collected and represented as a plurality of nodes in a network matrix. The documents that are to be analyzed are bound to the network (corpus) at a discrete node corresponding to the document. The documents are then analyzed to determine term frequency within each document and the overall term frequency of the same term throughout the entire document grouping. This creates a weighting value that determines the relevancy of each document as compared to the entire network of documents. Finally, weighting values are normalized with relative weighting values so that the sum of the weights of all edges connected to a given node equals 1. User queries then proceed through the network from node to node using the algorithm of the present invention to locate documents relevant to the search.

Abstract: A subscription facsimile system of the type in which providers supply new documents for storing the images thereof in a centralized database. Subscribers register with a system as to one or more subject matter areas of interest. A processor cyclically scans the document database for new documents that have been added thereto. The processor correlates the subject matter of the newly added documents to the identity of the subscribers having an interest in the same. The new documents are then transmitted by way of facsimile to the subscribers who have registered an interest in such subject matter.