Intelligent methods for data retrieval in fusion databases

The plasma behaviour is identified through the recognition of patterns inside signals. The search for patterns is usually a manual and tedious procedure in which signals need to be examined individually. A breakthrough in data retrieval for fusion databases is the development of intelligent methods to search for patterns. A pattern (in the broadest sense) could be a single segment of a waveform, a set of pixels within an image or even a heterogeneous set of features made up of waveforms, images and any kind of experimental data. Intelligent methods will allow searching for data according to technical, scientific and structural criteria instead of an identifiable time interval or pulse number. Such search algorithms should be intelligent enough to avoid passing over the entire database. Benefits of such access methods are discussed and several available techniques are reviewed. In addition, the applicability of the methods from general purpose searching systems to ad hoc developments is covered.