A method and apparatus, including computer program products, for determining characteristic parameters on the basis of a series of m values, H_1, H_2, . . . , H_m, over time. The values are descriptive for a predetermined process, and the series has linear characteristics. Differences, denoted as Δ_i, between pairs of values of points of the historical time series, the points having a predetermined time distance to each other, denoted as p are computed. The median value, denoted as Δ_i_M, of the computed differences Δ_i is determined. On the basis of the determined median value Δ_i_M, a trend parameter, denoted as T, T being defined as T=Δ_1_M/p is computed.
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