A method for computing all occurrences of a compound event from occurrences of primitive events where the compound event is a defined combination of the primitive events. The method includes the steps of: (a) defining primitive event types; (b) defining combinations of the primitive event types as a compound event type; (c) inputting the primitive event occurrences, such occurrences being specified as the set of temporal intervals over which a given primitive event type is true; and (d) computing the compound event occurrences, such occurrences being specified as the set of temporal intervals over which the compound event type is true, where the sets of temporal intervals in steps (c) and (d) are specified as smaller sets of spanning intervals, each spanning interval representing a set of intervals.