Presentation of multivariate data on a graphical user interface of a computing system
Various systems, methods, and media allow for graphical display of multivariate data in parallel coordinate plots and similar plots for visualizing data for a plurality of variables simultaneously. These systems, methods, and media can aggregate individual data points into curves between axes, significantly improving functioning of computer systems by decreasing the rendering time for such plots. Certain implementations can allow a user to examine the relationship between two or more variables, by displaying the data on non-parallel or other transformed axes.
1. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
access or receive multivariate data;
determine a first thickness for a first curve, wherein the first thickness is increased with a quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve;
transmit data for generating a user interface including:
a first shape comprising a first region representing a first range of first values of a first variable of the multivariate data;
a second shape separated from the first shape by a space, the second shape comprising a second region representing a second range of second values of a second variable of the multivariate data;
the first curve in the space, the first curve having a first length from a first periphery of the first region to a second periphery of the second region; and
a textual label at least partly superimposed on the first curve, the textual label reflecting the quantity; and
in response to a user interaction causing the quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve to change, cause the textual label to be updated in the user interface.
2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first shape extends in at least two dimensions including a first height and a first width;
a plurality of first textual labels inside the first shape indicate first values or first ranges of values for the first variable of the multivariate data;
the second shape extends in at least two dimensions including a second height and a second width, the first height being substantially parallel to the first height; and
a plurality of second textual labels inside the second shape indicate second values or second ranges of values for the second variable of the multivariate data.
3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first periphery of the first region represents a first sub-range of the first range;
the second periphery of the second region represents a second sub-range of the second range; and
the quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve has values within the first sub-range and within the second sub-range.
4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
in response to a user interaction with the user interface, visually deaggregate the first curve into a plurality of curves that have thicknesses that are skinner than the first thickness.
5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
receive a user interaction to depict, in the user interface, a second curve; and
transmit further data for depicting, in the user interface, the second curve in the space, the second curve having a second length from a third periphery of the first shape to a fourth periphery of the second shape.
6. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
receive a user interaction to zoom in to a sub-region of the first shape, the sub-region representing a sub-range of values for the first variable; and
cause a depiction of the second curve from the user interface to be removed from the user interface, wherein the second curve represents a part of the multivariate data outside of the sub-range.
7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first region includes a plurality of sub-regions of different colors; and
the first curve is depicted with a color matching the color of the first region.
8. A computer-implemented method of representing multivariate data on a plurality of axes, the computer-implemented method comprising:
accessing or receiving multivariate data;
determining a first thickness for a first curve, wherein the first thickness is increased with a quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve;
transmitting data for generating a user interface including:
a first shape comprising a first region representing a first range of first values of a first variable of the multivariate data;
a second shape separated from the first shape by a space, the second shape comprising a second region representing a second range of second values of a second variable of the multivariate data;
the first curve in the space, the first curve having a first length from a first periphery of the first region to a second periphery of the second region; and
a textual label at least partly superimposed on the first curve, the textual label reflecting the quantity; and
in response to a user interaction causing the quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve to change, causing the textual label to be updated in the user interface.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the first curve is visually distinguished from other curves in the space by at least one of: a color, a pattern, a grayscale intensity, a shading, or a hatching.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the axes are substantially parallel.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a user instruction to remove the first curve from the user interface; and
removing the first curve from the user interface.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a user instruction to shrink the first range of first values represented by the first shape; and
shrinking the first range of first values represented by the first shape.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more program instructions recorded thereon, the program instructions configured for execution by a computing system comprising one or more processors in order to cause the computing system to:
access or receive multivariate data;
determine a first thickness for a first curve, wherein the first thickness is increased with a quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve;
transmit data for generating a user interface including:
a first shape comprising a first region representing a first range of first values of a first variable of the multivariate data;
a second shape separated from the first shape by a space, the second shape comprising a second region representing a second range of second values of a second variable of the multivariate data;
the first curve in the space, the first curve having a first length from a first periphery of the first region to a second periphery of the second region; and
a textual label at least partly superimposed on first curve, the textual label indicating the quantity; and
in response to a user interaction causing the quantity of the multivariate data represented by the first curve to change, cause the textual label to be updated in the user interface.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first region has a distinguishing visual appearance comprising a first color, a first pattern, a first grayscale intensity, a first shading, or a first hatching that distinguishes the first region from other regions in the first shape.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the first curve has the distinguishing visual appearance of the first region.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are configured for execution by the computing system in order to cause the computing system to further remove the first curve from the user interface in response to receiving a first user instruction.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are configured for execution by the computing system in order to cause the computing system to further cause the computing system to depict one or more additional textual labels at least partially within the first region.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:
the first shape extends in at least two dimensions including a first height and a first width;
a plurality of first textual labels inside the first shape indicate a first value or first range of values for the first variable of the multivariate data;
the second shape extends in at least two dimensions including a second height and a second width, the first height being substantially parallel to the first height;
a plurality of second textual labels inside the second shape indicate a second value or second range of values for the second variable of the multivariate data; and
the first shape is substantially parallel to the second shape.