Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Vahed Qazvinian

Jianfeng Gao

Christopher John Brockett

There is provided a computer-implemented method for user query reformulation. A graph is created to represent a relationship between previous user query terms. The graph may represent the previous user searches in n-grams that correspond to nodes. A random walk analysis is performed to determine probabilities that various n-grams corresponding to nodes of the graph could be used to effectively alter a user search term. The probabilities represent a quantification of relationships between nodes of the graph. A determination may be made regarding whether to reformulate the user query based on a relationship between a user search term in the user query and a graphed search term represented by a node of the graph. The determination takes into account a relationship between the user search term and the graphed search term.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Vahed Qazvinian