Method, program product, and apparatus for generating analysis model

Abstract

The present invention provides an analysis model generating method for generating an analysis model expressed using a Bayesian network. A analysis model generating method includes selecting a child variable to be added to the analysis model; selecting a plurality of variable candidates to be added to the analysis model as parent variables in causal relationships with the child variable; judging whether each of values indicating the causal relationships between the selected variable candidates and the child variable is high or low, based on the causal relationships between the variable candidates and the child variable; generating an aggregated variable different from the variable candidates by aggregating a plurality of low causal variable candidates; and putting high causal variable candidate and the aggregated variable into the analysis model as the parent variables to the child variable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the functional configuration of an analysis model generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a drawing of an example of response data;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an analysis model generating process performed by the analysis model generating apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a drawing of variable candidates that are specified, at step S102, out of the response data shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a drawing of a child variable and parent candidates;

FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining a process performed on high causal parent candidates;

FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a process performed on low causal parent candidates;

FIG. 8 is a drawing of the relationship between child variables and an aggregated variable;

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of an analysis model generated for the questionnaire shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is another schematic drawing of the analysis model generated for the questionnaire shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 is a drawing of a hardware configuration of the analysis model generating apparatus according to the embodiment.

Claims

1. An analysis model generating method for generating an analysis model in which causal relationships between variables are expressed using a Bayesian network, the method comprising: selecting a child variable to be added to the analysis model;selecting a plurality of variable candidates to be added to the analysis model as parent variables in causal relationships with the child variable;judging whether each of values indicating the causal relationships between the selected variable candidates and the child variable is high or low, based on the causal relationships between the variable candidates and the child variable;generating an aggregated variable different from the variable candidates by aggregating a plurality of low causal variable candidates, each of the low causal variable candidates being judged to have a low value in indicating the causal relationship; andputting high causal variable candidate and the aggregated variable into the analysis model as the parent variables to the child variable, the high causal variable candidate being judged to have a high value in indicating the causal relationship.

2. The analysis model generating method according to claim 1, wherein the variable candidates are selected based on information related to variables included in target data that is an analysis target to be analyzed by using the analysis model.

3. The analysis model generating method according to claim 2, wherein the causal relationship between the variable candidate and the child variable are evaluated based on the information related to the variables included in the target data, andthe variable candidates are selected based on the evaluated causal relationships.

4. The analysis model generating method according to claim 1, wherein the variable candidates are selected based on a specification by a user.

5. The analysis model generating method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregated variable is generated by aggregating the low causal variable candidate and the high causal variable candidate.

6. The analysis model generating method according to claim 1, wherein each of all variables to be included in the analysis model is selected as the child variable, andfor each of all the child variables, selecting the variable candidates, generating the parent variables, and determining the parent variables are recursively repeated.

7. The analysis model generating method according to claim 6, wherein the causal relationship between the child variable and the parent variable is changed into causal relationship between the aggregated variable and the parent variable, when parent variable to a child variable is determined, the child variable being one of the variable candidates aggregated into the aggregated variable.

8. A computer program product having a computer readable medium including programmed instructions for performing an analysis model generating process to generate an analysis model in which causal relationships between variables are expressed using a Bayesian network, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform: selecting a child variable to be added to the analysis model;selecting a plurality of variable candidates to be added to the analysis model as parent variables in causal relationships with the child variable;judging whether each of values indicating the causal relationships between the selected variable candidates and the child variable is high or low, based on the causal relationships between the variable candidates and the child variable;generating an aggregated variable different from the variable candidates by aggregating a plurality of low causal variable candidates, each of the low causal variable candidates being judged to have a low value in indicating the causal relationship; andputting high causal variable candidates and the aggregated variable into the analysis model as the parent variable to the child variable, the high causal variable candidate being judged to have a high value in indicating the causal relationship.

9. An analysis model generating apparatus for generating an analysis model in which causal relationships between variables are expressed using a Bayesian network, the apparatus comprising: a child variable selecting unit that selects a child variable to be added to the analysis model;a variable candidate selecting unit that selects a plurality of variable candidates to be added to the analysis model as parent variables in causal relationships with the child variable;a causal relationship judging unit that judges whether each of values indicating the causal relationships between the selected variable candidates and the child variable is high or low, based on the causal relationships between the variable candidates and the child variable;an aggregated variable generating unit that generates an aggregated variable different from the variable candidates by aggregating a plurality of low causal variable candidates, each of the low causal variable candidates being judged to have a low value in indicating the causal relationship; anda parent variable determining unit that puts high causal variable candidate and the aggregated variable into the analysis model as the parent variables to the child variable, the high causal variable candidate being judged to have a high value in indicating the causal relationship.