Shape coding of multidimensional data on a microcomputer display

The author presents a simple and flexible method of sharp coding for higher dimensional data sets that allows the database operator or the scientist quick access to promising patterns within and among records or samples. The example used is a 13-parameter set of solar wind, magnetosphere, and ground observation data collected hourly for 21 days in 1976. The software system is a prototype developed to demonstrate the glyph approach to depicting higher-dimensional data sets. The experiment was to depict all parameters simultaneously, to see if any global or local patterns emerged. This experiment proves that much more complex data can be presented for visual pattern extraction than standard methods allow