in reply to modeling overlapping generations

I can't extract a question from your post?

Neither can I relate anything in your post -- which seems to be concerned with overlapping 2-dimension regions -- and the wikipedia link you (almost) gave which relates to finacial instruments in overlapping time periods.

You're much, much more likely to get useful responses, if you add some details about what format your data is in when you get it; and what information you hope to extract from it.

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

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Re^2: modeling overlapping generations
by punkish (Priest) on Nov 26, 2011 at 18:01 UTC
    I have updated the original question with more text. Hopefully that helps convey my question across.


    when small people start casting long shadows, it is time to go to bed
[reply]

      I still can't see the question. Presumably you wish to take one or more of these opinions for a given strata and use them to categorise or rate or bracket the period(s) that strata is most likely to be a part of, but without you telling us what form those opinions are expressed in, suggesting anything is pretty much impossible.

      This link might help others grasp a little of what you are talking about.

      With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
      Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
      "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
      In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
[reply]
        Fabulous... thanks for pointing out that link. So, take a look at this http://geology.com/usgs/geologic-time-scale/, or, specifically, at the image at http://geology.com/usgs/geologic-time-scale/geologic-time-scale-one-column-cropped.gif. Now, imagine you have a rock that is estimated to be from between 25 Ma (million years ago) to 20 Ma. So, it started in the Oligocene and ended in the Miocene. The Tertiary period is the "closest" period that completely encompasses the sample rock. So, I want to model the following --

        given a point in time or a duration of time, find the closest period that completely encompasses your sample.

        Right now we are storing these "periods" with there start and end times in a SQL table, and then doing a lot of nested SQL queries to return our results. I am trying to determine if there are better ways to model such relationships. Intuitively SQL seems wrong for this.



        when small people start casting long shadows, it is time to go to bed
[reply]

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