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The problem of discovering sequential patterns [Mannila 1995 , Srikant 1996] is to find inter-transaction patterns such that the presence of a set of items is followed by another item in the time-stamp ordered transaction set.

In Web server logs, a visit by a client is recorded over a period of time. The time stamp associated with a transaction in this case will be a time interval which is determined and attached to the transaction during the data preprocesses. The discovery of sequential patterns in Web server access logs allows Web-based organizations to predict user navigation patterns and helps in targeting advertising aimed at groups of users based on these patterns. By analyzing this information, the Web mining system can determine temporal relationships among data items such as the following:

• 30% of clients who visited /company/products had done a search in Google, within the past week on keyword w;

• 60% of clients who placed an online order in /company/product1, also placed an online order in /company/product4 within 15 days.