Statistical Modelling 14 (3) (2014), 229255
A confusion index for measuring separation and clustering
Nicholas T Longford
SNTL and UPF,
Barcelona,
Spain
e-mail: sntlnick@sntl.co.uk
Jitka Bartošová
Vysoká Škola Ekonomická v Praze,
Jindřichüv Hradec,
Czech Republic
Abstract:
An index for characterizing the separation of two distributions is introduced. It is applied to assessing whether mixture components are clusters. A related property of being a satellite and a partial ordering of the components are defined. A sequence of clustering structures is defined for a finite mixture with a continuum of thresholds that qualify a cluster. The approach is suitable for outcomes with arbitrary univariate or multivariate distributions and their mixtures. The properties of the index are explored by simulations and on examples.
Keywords:
clusters; confusion; mixture; satellite separation
Downloads:
Example data in
zipped archive
back