Abstract: A price estimation device that can predict a price with a high degree of precision is disclosed. Said price estimation device has a price-predicting means that predicts a price pertaining to second information in a target second time period by applying rule information to said second information, which includes explanatory variables. Said rule information represents the relationship between the explanatory variables and the price, said relationship having been extracted on the basis of a first-information set comprising first information in which explanatory-variable values are associated with price values. The explanatory variables include an attribute that represents a length of time, determined on the basis of a first time period in which a specific event occurs, pertaining to a target object associated with the aforementioned first information or the abovementioned second information.

Abstract: An energy-amount estimation device that can predict an energy amount with a high degree of precision is disclosed. Said energy-amount estimation device has a prediction unit that, on the basis of the relationship between energy amount and one or more explanatory variables representing information that can influence said energy amount, predicts an energy amount pertaining to prediction information that indicates a prediction target. The aforementioned relationship is computed on the basis of specific learning information, within learning information in which an objective variable representing the aforementioned energy amount is associated with the one or more explanatory variables, that matches or is similar to the aforementioned prediction information.

Abstract: This invention discloses a shipment-volume prediction device that predicts the shipment volumes of products at a new store. A classification unit (90) classifies a plurality of existing stores into a plurality of clusters. On the basis of information regarding the new store, a cluster estimation unit (91) estimates which cluster the new store will belong to. A shipment-volume prediction unit (92) estimates the shipment volumes of products at the new store by computing predicted shipment volumes for said products at existing stores that belong to the same cluster as the new store.

Abstract: This invention discloses an order-volume determination device that determines an appropriate order volume. A component determination unit (91) determines a component to use in a shipment-volume prediction on the basis of the following: a hierarchical hidden structure in which hidden variables are represented by a tree structure and components representing probability models are assigned to the nodes at the lowest level of said tree structure; a gate function that determines the direction in which to branch at each node of the aforementioned hierarchical hidden structure; and prediction data. On the basis of the determined component and the prediction data, a shipment-volume prediction unit (92) computes a predicted shipment volume for a product between the present time and a second point in time that is after a first point in time.

Abstract: This invention discloses a product recommendation device that recommends products that are selling well in many stores, not products that are selling well in only some stores. For each of a plurality of products sold at a plurality of stores, a score computation unit (90) computes a score that increases as a function of both shipment volume and the number of stores at which the product in question is being dealt. A product recommendation unit (91) recommends products that have higher scores than products being dealt at the store for which the recommendation is being made.

Abstract: A hierarchical latent structure setting unit 81 sets a hierarchical latent structure that is a structure in which latent variables are represented by a tree structure and components representing probability models are located at nodes of a lowest level of the tree structure. A variational probability computation unit 82 computes a variational probability of a path latent variable that is a latent variable included in a path linking a root node to a target node in the hierarchical latent structure. A component optimization unit 83 optimizes each of the components for the computed variational probability. A gating function optimization unit 84 optimizes a gating function model that is a model for determining a branch direction according to the multivariate data in a node of the hierarchical latent structure, based on the variational probability of the latent variable in the node.

Abstract: A hierarchical latent structure setting unit 81 sets a hierarchical latent structure that is a structure in which latent variables are represented by a tree structure and components representing probability models are located at nodes of a lowest level of the tree structure. A variational probability computation unit 82 computes a variational probability of a path latent variable that is a latent variable included in a path linking a root node to a target node in the hierarchical latent structure. A component optimization unit 83 optimizes each of the components for the computed variational probability. A gating function optimization unit 84 optimizes a gating function model that is a model for determining a branch direction according to the multivariate data in a node of the hierarchical latent structure, based on the variational probability of the latent variable in the node.