A novel genetic algorithm for automatic clustering

  • Authors:
  • Gautam Garai;B. B. Chaudhuri

  • Affiliations:
  • Computer Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064 India;Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 B.T. Road, Kolkata 700 035 India

  • Venue:
  • Pattern Recognition Letters
  • Year:
  • 2004

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Abstract

In this paper we have presented a new genetically guided algorithm for solving the clustering problem. The proposed Genetic Clustering Algorithm is basically a two-phase process. At the first phase the original data set is decomposed into a number of fragmented clusters in order to spread the GA search process at the latter phase over the entire space. At the second phase Hierarchical Cluster Merging Algorithm (HCMA) is used. The HCMA is an iterative genetic algorithm based approach that combines some of the fragmented clusters into complete k-cluster. The algorithm contains another component called Adjacent Cluster Checking Algorithm (ACCA). This technique is used for testing adjacency of two segmented clusters so that they can be merged into one cluster. The performance of the algorithm has been demonstrated on several data sets consisting of multiple clusters and it is compared with some well-known clustering methods.