Combination Evaluation Method of Fuzzy C-Mean Clustering Validity Based on Hybrid Weighted Strategy

Abstract

Clustering validity function is an index used to judge the accuracy of clustering results. At present, most studies on clustering validity are based on single clustering validity function. Research shows that no clustering validity function can handle any data and always perform better than other indexes. Therefore, a hybrid weighted combination evaluation method based on fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering validity functions was proposed. The weighting method combines expert weighting with information entropy weighting to improve the subjective factor influence of expert weighting and the shortcoming of information entropy weighting in the value judgment of each clustering validity function. Four clustering validity function combination methods of linear, exponential, logarithm and proportion was studied. Finally, the proposed fuzzy clustering validity evaluation method is verified by experiments on artificial data sets and UCI data sets. The experimental results show that the proposed fuzzy clustering validity evaluation method can overcome the shortcoming of single clustering validity function, and can get the optimal clustering number more accurately for different data sets.

Keywords

• Fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm
• clustering validity function
• weighted combination
• expert weighting
• information entropy weighting