Clustering

Clustering (Multivariate Methods) (GWU EMSE-271)
Index | Topics (Logical Lectures) | Lectures | Problems | Readings | Nomenclature | Concepts

"Broadly speaking, cluster analysis involves categorization: dividing a large group of observations into small groups so that the observations within each group are relatively similar (i.e. they possess largely the same characteristics)." - Lattin

"**Cluster analysis** or **clustering** is the assignment of a set of observations into subsets (called //clusters//) so that observations in the same cluster are similar in some sense. Clustering is a method of unsupervised learning, and a common technique for statistical data analysis used in many fields, including machine learning, data mining, pattern recognition, image analysis and bioinformatics." - [|Wikipedia]

Clustering is similar to multidimensional scaling; the first categorizes (nominal scale variables); the second provides a spatial relationship with interval scale variables. - Lattin


 * Sources:**
 * Analyzing Multivariate Data, by James Lattin, Douglas Carroll and Green ([|Amazon]), page 12; pp. 12-13
 * Cluster analysis. (2009, November 24). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved 00:33, December 2, 2009, from []