Intermediate · Data
Cluster analysis
Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.
TL;DR. The process of grouping similar data points together into clusters, used for exploratory data mining and pattern recognition.
Technical Definition
The process of grouping similar data points together into clusters, used for exploratory data mining and pattern recognition.
How it works
Cluster analysis, or clustering, is a technique used to group similar data objects into clusters. Objects within the same cluster share common characteristics, making them more alike than objects in different clusters. It's a fundamental method in unsupervised machine learning for discovering patterns and structures in data.
Related Concepts
- Unsupervised Learning — Learning patterns from data that has no labels — only the inputs.
- Data mining — Discovering patterns and insights in large datasets using methods from machine learning, statistics, and databases.
- Pattern recognition — The automatic identification of regularities and patterns in data using algorithms for tasks like classification.