diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e6bf6ea..a75a060 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,212 @@
 # python generated files
-src/python/__pycache__
\ No newline at end of file
+src/python/__pycache__
+
+# User-specific files
+*.suo
+*.user
+*.sln.docstates
+
+# Build results
+[Dd]ebug/
+[Rr]elease/
+x64/
+[Bb]in/
+[Oo]bj/
+# build folder is nowadays used for build scripts and should not be ignored
+#build/
+
+# NuGet Packages
+*.nupkg
+# The packages folder can be ignored because of Package Restore
+**/packages/*
+# except build/, which is used as an MSBuild target.
+!**/packages/build/
+# Uncomment if necessary however generally it will be regenerated when needed
+#!**/packages/repositories.config
+
+# MSTest test Results
+[Tt]est[Rr]esult*/
+[Bb]uild[Ll]og.*
+
+*_i.c
+*_p.c
+*.ilk
+*.meta
+*.obj
+*.pch
+*.pdb
+*.pgc
+*.pgd
+*.rsp
+*.sbr
+*.tlb
+*.tli
+*.tlh
+*.tmp
+*.tmp_proj
+*.log
+*.vspscc
+*.vssscc
+.builds
+*.pidb
+*.log
+*.scc
+
+# OS generated files #
+.DS_Store*
+
+Icon?
+# Visual C++ cache files
+ipch/
+*.aps
+*.ncb
+*.opensdf
+*.sdf
+*.cachefile
+
+# Visual Studio profiler
+*.psess
+*.vsp
+*.vspx
+
+# Guidance Automation Toolkit
+*.gpState
+
+# ReSharper is a .NET coding add-in
+_ReSharper*/
+*.[Rr]e[Ss]harper
+
+# TeamCity is a build add-in
+_TeamCity*
+
+# DotCover is a Code Coverage Tool
+*.dotCover
+
+# NCrunch
+*.ncrunch*
+.*crunch*.local.xml
+
+# Installshield output folder
+[Ee]xpress/
+
+# DocProject is a documentation generator add-in
+DocProject/buildhelp/
+DocProject/Help/*.HxT
+DocProject/Help/*.HxC
+DocProject/Help/*.hhc
+DocProject/Help/*.hhk
+DocProject/Help/*.hhp
+DocProject/Help/Html2
+DocProject/Help/html
+
+# Click-Once directory
+publish/
+
+# Publish Web Output
+*.Publish.xml
+
+# Windows Azure Build Output
+csx
+*.build.csdef
+
+# Windows Store app package directory
+AppPackages/
+
+# Others
+*.Cache
+ClientBin/
+[Ss]tyle[Cc]op.*
+~$*
+*~
+*.dbmdl
+*.[Pp]ublish.xml
+*.pfx
+*.publishsettings
+modulesbin/
+tempbin/
+
+# EPiServer Site file (VPP)
+AppData/
+
+# RIA/Silverlight projects
+Generated_Code/
+
+# Backup & report files from converting an old project file to a newer
+# Visual Studio version. Backup files are not needed, because we have git ;-)
+_UpgradeReport_Files/
+Backup*/
+UpgradeLog*.XML
+UpgradeLog*.htm
+
+# vim
+*.txt~
+*.swp
+*.swo
+ 
+# svn
+.svn
+
+# CVS - Source Control
+**/CVS/
+
+# Remainings from resolvings conflicts in Source Control
+*.orig
+
+# SQL Server files
+**/App_Data/*.mdf
+**/App_Data/*.ldf
+**/App_Data/*.sdf
+
+
+#LightSwitch generated files
+GeneratedArtifacts/
+_Pvt_Extensions/
+ModelManifest.xml
+
+# =========================
+# Windows detritus
+# =========================
+
+# Windows image file caches
+Thumbs.db
+ehthumbs.db
+
+# Folder config file
+Desktop.ini
+
+# Recycle Bin used on file shares
+$RECYCLE.BIN/
+
+# Mac desktop service store files
+.DS_Store
+
+# SASS Compiler cache
+.sass-cache
+
+# Visual Studio 2014 CTP
+**/*.sln.ide
+
+# Visual Studio temp something
+.vs/
+
+# dotnet stuff
+project.lock.json
+
+# VS 2015+
+*.vc.vc.opendb
+*.vc.db
+
+# Rider
+.idea/
+
+# Visual Studio Code
+.vscode/
+
+# Output folder used by Webpack or other FE stuff
+**/node_modules/*
+**/wwwroot/*
+
+# SpecFlow specific
+*.feature.cs
+*.feature.xlsx.*
+*.Specs_*.html
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/.suo b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/.suo
deleted file mode 100644
index 205eaed..0000000
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diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/Server/sqlite3/db.lock b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/Server/sqlite3/db.lock
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/Server/sqlite3/storage.ide b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/.vs/CS4850_Phase1/v15/Server/sqlite3/storage.ide
deleted file mode 100644
index e862402..0000000
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diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/FuzzyMatcher.cs b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/FuzzyMatcher.cs
index 3c604f8..90f0c20 100644
--- a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/FuzzyMatcher.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/FuzzyMatcher.cs
@@ -15,108 +15,155 @@ public enum StringAlgorithms
         //add more as needed
     }
 
-    class FuzzyMatcher
+    struct Match
     {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// 
+        /// </summary>
+        public int RowIndex { get; set; }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// 
+        /// </summary>
+        public String Source { get; set; }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// 
+        /// </summary>
+        public String Lookup { get; set; }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// 
+        /// </summary>
+        public double SimilarityRatio { get; set; }
 
+        public Match(String source, String lookup, double similarityRatio, int rowIndex = -1)
+        {
+            RowIndex = rowIndex;
+            Source = source;
+            Lookup = lookup;
+            SimilarityRatio = similarityRatio;
+        }
+    }
 
+    class FuzzyMatcher
+    {
         #region Fields
-        private static readonly Dictionary<StringAlgorithms, Delegate> algorithms;
-            
-
-        #region Delegates
-        private delegate int DelGetLevenshteinDistance(String s, String t);
-        private delegate int DelSmithWaterman(String s, String t);
-        #endregion Delegates 
         #endregion Fields
 
         #region Methods
-
-        //static constructor
-        static FuzzyMatcher()
-        {
-            algorithms = new Dictionary<StringAlgorithms, Delegate>
-            {
-                { StringAlgorithms.LevenshteinDistance, new DelGetLevenshteinDistance(GetLevenshteinDistance) }
-            };
-        }
-
+        //TODO: rename 'GetAllDistances' to something more appropriate
         /// <summary>
-        /// Calculates the 
+        /// Calculates the Levenshtein distances between the query string
+        /// and every string in some database.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <typeparam name="T"></typeparam>
         /// <param name="query">the query string</param>
-        /// <param name="database">the </param>
-        /// <param name=""></param>
-        /// <returns></returns>
-        public static IList<KeyValuePair<String, T>> GetAllDistanecs<T>(String query, IList<String> database, StringAlgorithms algorithm = StringAlgorithms.LevenshteinDistance)
+        /// <param name="database">database of strings to be matched against
+        /// </param>
+        /// <returns>an IList of matches; each match contains a string 
+        /// similarity ratio calculated from an associated Levenshtein distance
+        /// </returns>
+        public static IList<Match> GetAllDistances(String query, IList<String> database)
         {
-            return FindClosestMatches<T>(query, database, database.Count, algorithm);
+            return FindClosestMatches(query, database, database.Count);
         }
 
-
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Finds the specified number of the top closest matches between the
-        /// query string and the database of strings to be matched against. The
-        /// matching algorithm to be used is an optional parameter of
-        /// the StringAlgorithms enum type; if no StringAlgorithms 
-        /// argument is passed in, it will default to Levenshtein distance.
+        /// query string and the database of strings to be matched against.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <typeparam name="T">the data type of the metric being used by the
-        /// specified string similarity algorithm. If no algorithm is
-        /// specified, this method will default to Levenshtein distance which
-        /// uses an integer edit distance metric.
-        /// </typeparam>
         /// <param name="query">the query string</param>
-        /// <param name="database">database of strings to be matched against</param>
-        /// <param name="numMatches">number of closest matches to be returned</param>
-        /// <param name="algorithm"></param>
+        /// <param name="database">database of strings to be matched against
+        /// </param>
+        /// <param name="numMatches">number of closest matches to be returned
+        /// </param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        public static IList<KeyValuePair<String, T>> FindClosestMatches<T>(String query, IList<String> database, int numMatches, StringAlgorithms algorithm = StringAlgorithms.LevenshteinDistance) 
+        public static IList<Match> FindClosestMatches(String query, IList<String> database, int numMatches)
         {
-            IList<KeyValuePair<String, T>> result = new List<KeyValuePair<String, T>>(numMatches);
-            
-            return result;
-        }
+            List<Match> matches = new List<Match>(numMatches);
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < database.Count; ++i)
+            {
+                matches.Add(new Match(query, database[i], GetLevenshteinRatio(query, database[i]), i));
+            }
 
+            matches.Sort((m1, m2) => -1 * m1.SimilarityRatio.CompareTo(m2.SimilarityRatio));
+            return matches.Take(numMatches).ToList();
+        }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Matches a query string against a database of strings stored in the
-        /// specified file, using the specified algorithm, and returns the the top
+        /// specified file and returns the the top
         /// 'numMatches' number of closest-matching strings found.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <typeparam name="T">the data type of the metric being used by the
-        /// specified string similarity algorithm. If no algorithm is
-        /// specified, this method will default to Levenshtein distance which
-        /// uses an integer edit distance metric.
-        /// </typeparam>
         /// <param name="query">the query string; the string to be matched</param>
         /// <param name="fileName">the name of the file containing the data
         /// set to be matched against
         /// </param>
         /// <param name="numMatches">the number of closest matches to be found
         /// </param>
-        /// <param name="algorithm">the string algorithm to be used to do the
-        /// matching
+        /// <returns>an IList of the closest matches to the query string
+        /// </returns>
+        public static IList<Match> FindClosestMatches(String query, String fileName, int numMatches)
+        {
+            List<Match> result = new List<Match>();
+            //TODO: use a BST or other sorted data structure to reduce overhead
+            //      of maintaining the current top 'numMatches' # of matches
+            //double currentLowestSimilarity = 0.0f;
+
+            try
+            {
+                string line;
+                int lineNum = 0;
+                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(fileName))
+                {
+                    while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
+                    {
+                        result.Add(new Match(query, line, GetLevenshteinRatio(query, line), lineNum));
+                        ++lineNum;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
+            }
+
+            result.Sort((m1, m2) => -1 * m1.SimilarityRatio.CompareTo(m2.SimilarityRatio));
+            return result.Take(numMatches).ToList();
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Finds a list of matches whose similarity ratios are above the 
+        /// specified threshold
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="query">the query string</param>
+        /// <param name="fileName">the name of the file containing the set of
+        /// strings to be matched against
         /// </param>
-        /// <returns>a List (as an IList) of the closest matches to the query
-        /// string and the corresponding string similarity metric value, stored
-        /// as (key, value) pairs with the matched string as the key and the
-        /// metric as the value.
+        /// <param name="threshold">the similarity threshold</param>
+        /// <returns>a list of matches whose similarity ratios are above the 
+        /// specified threshold
         /// </returns>
-        public static IList<KeyValuePair<String, T>> FindClosestMatches<T>(String query, String fileName, int numMatches, StringAlgorithms algorithm = StringAlgorithms.LevenshteinDistance)
+        public static IList<Match> FindMatchesAboveThreshold(String query, String fileName, double threshold)
         {
-            
-            IList<KeyValuePair<String, T>> result = new List<KeyValuePair< String, T>> (numMatches);
-            
+            if (threshold < 0)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("threshold must be greater than or equal to 0");
+            }
+            List<Match> result = new List<Match>();
+
             try
             {
                 string line;
+                int lineNumber = 0;
                 using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(fileName))
                 {
                     while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
                     {
-                        result.Add(new KeyValuePair<String, T> (line, (T)algorithms[algorithm].DynamicInvoke(new Object[] { query, line } )));
+                        Match currentMatch = new Match(query, line, GetLevenshteinRatio(query, line), lineNumber);
+                        if (currentMatch.SimilarityRatio >= threshold)
+                        {
+                            result.Add(currentMatch);
+                        }
+                        ++lineNumber;
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -173,9 +220,24 @@ public static int GetLevenshteinDistance(string s, string t)
                             d[i - 1, j - 1] + 1 //a substitution
                             );
 
-            //double similarityPercentage = ((1.0 - (d[n, m] / (double)Math.Max(s.Length, t.Length))));
             return d[n, m];
         }
+
+        //TODO?: can add a 'Distance' or 'SimilarityMetric' property to the
+        //      Match struct to simplify the means by which we convert or
+        //      normalize the Levenshtein distance into a ratio
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Calculates the similarity ratio associated with the Levenshtein
+        /// distance between the two specified strings
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="s">source string</param>
+        /// <param name="t">target string</param>
+        /// <returns>similarity ratio associated with the Levenshtein
+        /// distance between the two specified strings</returns>
+        public static double GetLevenshteinRatio(String s, String t)
+        {
+            return ((1.0d - (GetLevenshteinDistance(s, t) / (double)Math.Max(s.Length, t.Length))));
+        }
         #endregion Methods
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.CoreCompileInputs.cache b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.CoreCompileInputs.cache
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d9d0f8..0000000
--- a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.CoreCompileInputs.cache
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-935d3f48ea61cc6850525d6ab86bd645c5d2bf82
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.FileListAbsolute.txt b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.FileListAbsolute.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index c4840ce..0000000
--- a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csproj.FileListAbsolute.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-C:\Users\Daniel\Source\Repos\CS4850_Phase1\CS4850_Phase1\CS4850_Phase1\obj\Debug\CS4850_Phase1.csprojResolveAssemblyReference.cache
-C:\Users\Daniel\Source\Repos\CS4850_Phase1\CS4850_Phase1\CS4850_Phase1\obj\Debug\CS4850_Phase1.csproj.CoreCompileInputs.cache
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csprojResolveAssemblyReference.cache b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/CS4850_Phase1.csprojResolveAssemblyReference.cache
deleted file mode 100644
index 2b402a3..0000000
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diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/DesignTimeResolveAssemblyReferences.cache b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/DesignTimeResolveAssemblyReferences.cache
deleted file mode 100644
index adfc576..0000000
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diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/DesignTimeResolveAssemblyReferencesInput.cache b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/DesignTimeResolveAssemblyReferencesInput.cache
deleted file mode 100644
index 75a2f36..0000000
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diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_036C0B5B-1481-4323-8D20-8F5ADCB23D92.cs b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_036C0B5B-1481-4323-8D20-8F5ADCB23D92.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_5937a670-0e60-4077-877b-f7221da3dda1.cs b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_5937a670-0e60-4077-877b-f7221da3dda1.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_E7A71F73-0F8D-4B9B-B56E-8E70B10BC5D3.cs b/src/csharp/CS4850_Phase1/CS4850_Phase1/obj/Debug/TemporaryGeneratedFile_E7A71F73-0F8D-4B9B-B56E-8E70B10BC5D3.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/python/.idea/misc.xml b/src/python/.idea/misc.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index a2e120d..0000000
--- a/src/python/.idea/misc.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<project version="4">
-  <component name="ProjectRootManager" version="2" project-jdk-name="Python 3.7" project-jdk-type="Python SDK" />
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/python/.idea/modules.xml b/src/python/.idea/modules.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 614b3c1..0000000
--- a/src/python/.idea/modules.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<project version="4">
-  <component name="ProjectModuleManager">
-    <modules>
-      <module fileurl="file://$PROJECT_DIR$/.idea/python.iml" filepath="$PROJECT_DIR$/.idea/python.iml" />
-    </modules>
-  </component>
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/python/.idea/python.iml b/src/python/.idea/python.iml
deleted file mode 100644
index f3d7bc9..0000000
--- a/src/python/.idea/python.iml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<module type="PYTHON_MODULE" version="4">
-  <component name="NewModuleRootManager">
-    <content url="file://$MODULE_DIR$" />
-    <orderEntry type="jdk" jdkName="Python 3.7" jdkType="Python SDK" />
-    <orderEntry type="sourceFolder" forTests="false" />
-  </component>
-  <component name="TestRunnerService">
-    <option name="PROJECT_TEST_RUNNER" value="Unittests" />
-  </component>
-</module>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/python/.idea/vcs.xml b/src/python/.idea/vcs.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index b2bdec2..0000000
--- a/src/python/.idea/vcs.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<project version="4">
-  <component name="VcsDirectoryMappings">
-    <mapping directory="$PROJECT_DIR$/../.." vcs="Git" />
-  </component>
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file