CONTROL FOR RAPIDLY EXPLORING RELATIONSHIPS IN DENSELY CONNECTED NETWORKS

1 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute instructions;

a computer-readable storage device including,

a data set, wherein the data set comprises data fields and data field elements;

instructions to visually represent the data set;

instructions for a circular user interface configured to process user input, and to reorganize the visual representation of the data set based on the user input.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a sort-precedence indicator is configured to indicate the sort-precedence of each data field with respect to each other.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein rotation of the circular user interface with respect to the sort-precedence indicator reorganizes the sort precedence of the visual representation of the data set.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein data fields can be dragged from the circular user interface, excluding the data field from the circular user interface and the visual representation of the data set.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein selection of a data field element on the circular user interface hides all other data fields within the data field.

6 - 11 . (canceled)

12 . A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code configured to:

present a circular user interface, wherein the circular user interface contains data fields and data field elements consistent with a data set;

present a visual representation of the data set;

receive user input via the circular user interface, wherein the user input indicates a reorganization of the visual representation of the data set;

present the circular user interface consistent with the user input; and

present the visual representation of the data set consistent with the reorganization of the visual representation of the data set.

13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the circular user interface contains a sort-precedence indicator to indicate the sort-precedence of each data field with respect to each other.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the sort-precedence of each data field decreases in a clockwise manner proceeding away from the sort-precedence indicator.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the sort-precedence of each data field decreases in a counterclockwise manner proceeding away from the sort-precedence indicator.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , further configured to:

receive user input, via the circular user interface, indicating a rotation of the circular user interface with respect to the sort-precedence indicator, wherein the rotation of the circular user interface indicates a new sort-precedence;

reorganize the sort-precedence of the circular user interface with respect to the user input;

reorganize the sort-precedence of the visual representation of the data set with respect to the user input;

present the circular user interface consistent with the new sort-precedence; and

present the visual representation of the data set consistent with the new sort-precedence.

17 . The computer program product of claim 12 , further configured to:

receive user input, via the circular user interface, indicating a reordering of the data fields in the visual representation of the data set to a new data field ordering;

reorganize the circular user interface consistent with the new data field ordering;

reorganize the visual representation of the data set consistent with the new data field ordering;

present the circular user interface consistent with the new data field ordering; and

present the visual representation of the data set consistent with the new data field ordering.

18 - 20 . (canceled)