Calinski - Harabasz criterion for choosing optimal number of clusters
$begingroup$
I've been using the CH criterion to determine the optimal number of clusters for some data I'm working with. I know that in general you would evaluate the criterion for a number of different choices of clusters, and choose the number of clusters which gives the highest CH value, or one where there is a large increase in CH score.
For my data, the optimal number of clusters is 2. Plotting the CH score against number of clusters, I can see the score decreases very quickly if you increase the number of clusters.
My question is this: Since the CH criterion does not evaluate for 1 cluster, how can I be sure using 2 clusters is better than one cluster? I.e how can one determine if there is evidence for any clustering at all in the data?
statistics machine-learning data-analysis clustering
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I've been using the CH criterion to determine the optimal number of clusters for some data I'm working with. I know that in general you would evaluate the criterion for a number of different choices of clusters, and choose the number of clusters which gives the highest CH value, or one where there is a large increase in CH score.
For my data, the optimal number of clusters is 2. Plotting the CH score against number of clusters, I can see the score decreases very quickly if you increase the number of clusters.
My question is this: Since the CH criterion does not evaluate for 1 cluster, how can I be sure using 2 clusters is better than one cluster? I.e how can one determine if there is evidence for any clustering at all in the data?
statistics machine-learning data-analysis clustering
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I've been using the CH criterion to determine the optimal number of clusters for some data I'm working with. I know that in general you would evaluate the criterion for a number of different choices of clusters, and choose the number of clusters which gives the highest CH value, or one where there is a large increase in CH score.
For my data, the optimal number of clusters is 2. Plotting the CH score against number of clusters, I can see the score decreases very quickly if you increase the number of clusters.
My question is this: Since the CH criterion does not evaluate for 1 cluster, how can I be sure using 2 clusters is better than one cluster? I.e how can one determine if there is evidence for any clustering at all in the data?
statistics machine-learning data-analysis clustering
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
$endgroup$
I've been using the CH criterion to determine the optimal number of clusters for some data I'm working with. I know that in general you would evaluate the criterion for a number of different choices of clusters, and choose the number of clusters which gives the highest CH value, or one where there is a large increase in CH score.
For my data, the optimal number of clusters is 2. Plotting the CH score against number of clusters, I can see the score decreases very quickly if you increase the number of clusters.
My question is this: Since the CH criterion does not evaluate for 1 cluster, how can I be sure using 2 clusters is better than one cluster? I.e how can one determine if there is evidence for any clustering at all in the data?
statistics machine-learning data-analysis clustering
statistics machine-learning data-analysis clustering
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
asked Dec 21 '18 at 14:33
darren86darren86
567
567
add a comment |
add a comment |
0
active
oldest
votes
Your Answer
StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
});
});
}, "mathjax-editing");
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "69"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3048551%2fcalinski-harabasz-criterion-for-choosing-optimal-number-of-clusters%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
0
active
oldest
votes
0
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Thanks for contributing an answer to Mathematics Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3048551%2fcalinski-harabasz-criterion-for-choosing-optimal-number-of-clusters%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
