Dip-based Deep Embedded Clustering with k-Estimation

Author(s): Lena Bauer, Collin Leiber, Benjamin Schelling, Christian Boehm, Claudia Plant
Abstract: The combination of clustering with Deep Learning has gained much attention in recent years. Unsupervised neural networks like autoencoders can autonomously learn the essential structures in a data set. This idea can be combined with clustering objectives to learn relevant features automatically. Unfortunately, they are often based on a k-means framework, from which they inherit various assumptions, like spherical-shaped clusters. Another assumption, also found in approaches outside the k-means-family, is knowing the number of clusters a-priori. In this paper, we present the novel clustering algorithm DipDECK, which can estimate the number of clusters simultaneously to improving a Deep Learning-based clustering objective. Additionally, we can cluster complex data sets without assuming only spherically shaped clusters. Our algorithm works by heavily overestimating the number of clusters in the embedded space of an autoencoder and, based on Hartigan's Dip-test - a statistical test for unimodality - analyses the resulting micro-clusters to determine which to merge. We show in extensive experiments the various benefits of our method: (1) we achieve competitive results while learning the clustering-friendly representation and number of clusters simultaneously; (2) our method is robust regarding parameters, stable in performance, and allows for more flexibility in the cluster shape; (3) we outperform relevant competitors in the estimation of the number of clusters.
Organisation(s): Research Network Data Science, Research Group Data Mining and Machine Learning
External organisation(s): Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Pages: 903-913
No. of pages: 11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3447548.3467316
Publication date: 08-2021
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 102033 Data mining
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Software, Information Systems
Portal url: https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/dipbased-deep-embedded-clustering-with-kestimation(7a0a121e-8411-4e09-89a0-7e5dda62c1a5).html