Discusses the role of certain types of classifications in a modern automated environment. (Author/PF)

Describes recent attempts to make explicit connections between the indexing process and the use of the index or information retrieval system, particularly the utility-theoretic and automatic indexing models of William Cooper and Stephen Harter. Theory and performance, information storage and retrieval, search stage feedback, and indexing are also…

This discussion of the general principles of structure and construction of numeric databases introduces the concept of data points, their relationship to each other, and their storage in a nonredundant way. The collection of numeric data and their integration into the database structure are explained. Eight references are cited. (EJS)