System and method for determining an element value in private datasets

摘要

A system and method is disclosed for determining a value of an element, having a k-th rank. The method discloses: calculating a total number of elements in a first and second dataset; prohibiting parties from accessing each other's dataset; ranking the elements within each dataset; computing a total number of elements in the datasets each having a value less than a test value; computing a total number of elements in the datasets each having a value greater than the test value; and setting the value of the element, having the k-th rank, equal to the test value, if the total number of elements having values less than the test value is ≦ the k-th rank minus one, and the total number of elements having values greater than the test value is ≦ the total number of elements minus the k-th rank. The system discloses means for practicing the method.