EDITING PROTOCOL FOR FLEXIBLE SEARCH ENGINES

Entries are added or deleted on a search tree starting with a selected vertex on an identified level of the tree. If the level of the selected vertex is the bottom level the entry is inserted to or deleted from the selected vertex. If the level of the selected vertex is not the bottom level, the entries on the child vertices of the selected vertex are redistributed so that the child vertex having a maximal index contains a predetermined number of entries. If the level of the child vertex is the bottom level the entry is inserted to or deleted from the child vertex. Otherwise, the process repeats, using the child and grandchild vertices, until the correct level is reached.