Generation of metadata and computational model for visual exploration system

Various mechanisms are described for generating metadata describing relationships among data sets. Quantitative data can be analyzed to determine relationships, and metadata representing the determined relationships can then be stored. Visualizations can then be generated from the metadata, and a navigational model can be defined based on the generated set of visualizations. The navigational models can provide robust visual mechanics for implementing intuitive navigational schemes that facilitate interaction with data on any suitable output device, include small screens as found on smartphones and/or tablets.