A flexible multi-layer self-organizing map for generic processing of tree-structured data

A new multi-layer self-organizing map (MLSOM) is proposed for unsupervised processing tree-structured data. The MLSOM is an improved self-organizing map for handling structured data. By introducing multiple SOM layers, the MLSOM can overcome the computational speed and visualization problems of SOM for structured data (SOM-SD). Node data in different levels of a tree are processed in different layers of the MLSOM. Root nodes are dedicatedly processed on the top SOM layer enabling the MLSOM a better utilization of SOM map compared with the SOM-SD. Thus, the MLSOM exhibits better data organization, clustering, visualization, and classification results of tree-structured data. Experimental results on three different data sets demonstrate that the proposed MLSOM approach can be more efficient and effective than the SOM-SD.     

Content-based image retrieval by using tree-structured features and multi-layer self-organizing map

A new approach for content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is described. In this study, a tree-structured image representation together with a multi-layer self-organizing map (MLSOM) is proposed for efficient image retrieval. In the proposed tree-structured image representation, a root node contains the global features, while child nodes contain the local region-based features. This approach hierarchically integrates more information of image contents to achieve better retrieval accuracy compared with global and region features individually. MLSOM in the proposed method provides effective compression and organization of tree-structured image data. This enables the retrieval system to operate at a much faster rate than that of directly comparing query images with all images in databases. The proposed method also adopts a relevance feedback scheme to improve the retrieval accuracy by a respectable level. Our obtained results indicate that the proposed image retrieval system is robust against different types of image alterations. Comparative results corroborate that the proposed CBIR system is promising in terms of accuracy, speed and robustness.     

Visualized cognitive knowledge map integration for P2P networks

This study proposes a visualized cognitive knowledge map integration system, called VisCog, to facilitate knowledge management on P2P networks. By using the SOM (self-organized map)-like model, Egocentric SOM (ESOM), VisCog can merge the other peers' knowledge artifacts (e.g., documents) under a focal peer's knowledge structure and visually present the cognitive knowledge map of the P2P network. The experimental results from evaluating VisCog performance show that VisCog can retain an individual peer's knowledge structure while articulating with those of other peers to build its cognitive knowledge map.     

PolSOM: A new method for multidimensional data visualization

In this paper, a new algorithm named polar self-organizing map (PolSOM) is proposed. PolSOM is constructed on a 2-D polar map with two variables, radius and angle, which represent data weight and feature, respectively. Compared with the traditional algorithms projecting data on a Cartesian map by using the Euclidian distance as the only variable, PolSOM not only preserves the data topology and the inter-neuron distance, it also visualizes the differences among clusters in terms of weight and feature. In PolSOM, the visualization map is divided into tori and circular sectors by radial and angular coordinates, and neurons are set on the boundary intersections of circular sectors and tori as benchmarks to attract the data with the similar attributes. Every datum is projected on the map with the polar coordinates which are trained towards the winning neuron. As a result, similar data group together, and data characteristics are reflected by their positions on the map. The simulations and comparisons with Sammon's mapping, SOM and ViSOM are provided based on four data sets. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the PolSOM algorithm for multidimensional data visualization.     

面向分类数据的自组织神经网络

作为一种优良的聚类和降维工具,自组织神经网络SOM(SelfOrganizingFeatureMaps)已经得到广泛应用。其不足之处是仅适合于数值数据,这对时常需要处理分类型数据(Categoricalvalueddata)或数值型与分类型混合数据(Mixednumericandcategoricalvalueddata)的数据挖掘应用是不够的。该文提出了一种新的基于覆盖(Overlap)的距离函数并将其用于SOM训练。实验结果表明,在不增加时空开销的前提下可取得较好的聚类效果。     

一种局部化的线性流形自组织映射

提出一种局部化的线性流形自组织映射方法, 可自主学习高维向量空间中的一组有序的低维线性流形. 与现有的基于Kohonen的自适应子空间自组织映射网络(Adaptive-subspace self-organizing map, ASSOM)方法相比较, 本文方法有效地克服了流形表达中出现的数据混淆现象, 网络中各神经元渐近学习各自区域内样本数据的平均向量和主元子空间, 数据表达更加清晰可辨. 实验中, 新方法对数据簇的分类准确率明显优于参与对比的其他三种方法, 其对手写体数字识别的准确率在MNIST训练集和测试集上分别达到了98.26%和97.46%.     

On the performance of self-organizing maps for the non-Euclidean Traveling Salesman Problem in the polygonal domain

In this paper, two state-of-the-art algorithms for the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) are examined in the multi-goal path planning problem motivated by inspection planning in the polygonal domain W. Both algorithms are based on the self-organizing map (SOM) for which an application in W is not typical. The first is Somhom’s algorithm, and the second is the Co-adaptive net. These algorithms are augmented by a simple approximation of the shortest path among obstacles in W. Moreover, the competitive and cooperative rules are modified by recent adaptation rules for the Euclidean TSP, and by proposed enhancements to improve the algorithms’ performance in the non-Euclidean TSP. Based on the modifications, two new variants of the algorithms are proposed that reduce the required computational time of their predecessors by an order of magnitude, therefore making SOM more competitive with combinatorial heuristics. The results show how SOM approaches can be used in the polygonal domain so they can provide additional features over the classical combinatorial approaches based on the complete visibility graph.     

PPoSOM: A new variant of PolSOM by using probabilistic assignment for multidimensional data visualization

A new Self-Organizing Map algorithm, called the probabilistic polar self-organizing map (PPoSOM), is proposed. PPoSOM is a new variant of PolSOM, which is constructed on 2-D polar coordinates. Two variables: radius and angle are used to reflect the data characteristics. PPoSOM, developed to enhance the visualization performance, provides more data characteristics compared with the traditional methods that use Euclidian distance as the only variable. The weight-updating rule of PPoSOM is associated with a cost function. Instead of using the hard assignment, PPoSOM employs the soft assignment that the assignment of data to neuron is based on a probabilistic function. The obtained results are compared with the conventional SOM and ViSOM. The presented results show that the proposed PPoSOM is an effective method for multidimensional data visualization. In addition, the quality measurement of mapping, synthetical cluster density (SCD) is applied and it shows PPoSOM exhibits an improved result compared with PolSOM.     

Extending parallelization of the self-organizing map by combining data and network partitioned methods

High-dimensional data is pervasive in many fields such as engineering, geospatial, and medical. It is a constant challenge to build tools that help people in these fields understand the underlying complexities of their data. Many techniques perform dimensionality reduction or other “compression” to show views of data in either two or three dimensions, leaving the data analyst to infer relationships with remaining independent and dependent variables. Contextual self-organizing maps offer a way to represent and interact with all dimensions of a data set simultaneously. However, computational times needed to generate these representations limit their feasibility to realistic industry settings. Batch self-organizing maps provide a data-independent method that allows the training process to be parallelized and therefore sped up, saving time and money involved in processing data prior to analysis. This research parallelizes the batch self-organizing map by combining network partitioning and data partitioning methods with CUDA on the graphical processing unit to achieve significant training time reductions. Reductions in training times of up to twenty-five times were found while using map sizes where other implementations have shown weakness. The reduced training times open up the contextual self-organizing map as viable option for engineering data visualization.     

A SOM-based hybrid linear-neural model for short-term load forecasting

In this paper, a short-term load forecasting method is considered, which is based upon a flexible smooth transition autoregressive (STAR) model. The described model is a linear model with time varying coefficients, which are the outputs of a single hidden layer feedforward neural network. The hidden layer is responsible for partitioning the input space into multiple sub-spaces through multivariate thresholds and smooth transition between the sub-spaces. In this paper, we propose a new method to smartly initialize the weights of the hidden layer of the neural network before its training. A self-organizing map (SOM) network is applied to split the historical data dynamics into clusters, and the Ho-Kashyap algorithm is then used to obtain the separating planes' equations. Applied to the electricity markets, the proposed method is better able to model the smooth transitions between the different regimes, which are present in the load demand series because of market effects and season effects. We use data from three electricity markets to compare the prediction accuracy of the proposed method with traditional benchmarks and other recent models, and find our results to be competitive.     

Categorical data visualization and clustering using subjective factors

Clustering is an important data mining problem. However, most earlier work on clustering focused on numeric attributes which have a natural ordering to their attribute values. Recently, clustering data with categorical attributes, whose attribute values do not have a natural ordering, has received more attention. A common issue in cluster analysis is that there is no single correct answer to the number of clusters, since cluster analysis involves human subjective judgement. Interactive visualization is one of the methods where users can decide a proper clustering parameters. In this paper, a new clustering approach called CDCS (Categorical Data Clustering with Subjective factors) is introduced, where a visualization tool for clustered categorical data is developed such that the result of adjusting parameters is instantly reflected. The experiment shows that CDCS generates high quality clusters compared to other typical algorithms.     

Improvement of borrowing channel assignment for patterned traffic load by online cellular probabilistic self-organizing map

This paper describes an improvement of borrowing channel assignment (BCA) for patterned traffic load by using the short-term traffic prediction ability of cellular probabilistic self-organizing map (CPSOM). The fast growing cellular mobile systems demand more efficient and faster channel allocation techniques today. In case of patterned traffic load, the traditional BCA methods are not efficient to further enhance the performance because heavy-traffic cells cannot borrow channels from their neighboring cells with light or medium traffic that may have unused nominal channels. The performance can be increased if the short-term traffic load can be predicted. The predicted results can then be used for channel re-assignment. Therefore, the unused nominal channels of the light-or-medium-traffic cells can be transferred to the heavy-traffic cells that need more nominal channels. In this paper, CPSOM is used online for traffic prediction. In this sense, the proposed CPSOM-based BCA method is able to enhance the performance for patterned traffic load compared with the traditional BCA methods. Simulation results corroborate that the proposed method enables the system to work with better performance for patterned traffic load than the traditional BCA methods.     

基于自组织映射模型的数据挖掘算法在对二甲苯吸附分离过程中的应用

以PX吸附分离过程为研究对象,运用基于SOM模型的数据挖掘算法对其进行分析研究．SOM模型在整个挖掘过程中起了关键性的作用．一方面,SOM模型作为探索性数据分析的有效工具,为进一步的挖掘提供了依据．另一方面,SOM模型为聚类算法提供参数指导和数据支持．最终,通过数据挖掘实现了两个目标,得到了在不同负荷情况下操作参数的稳态优化区域;建立了可用于指导操作员改进操作的可视化实时评估模型．     

Clustering of time series data—a survey

Time series clustering has been shown effective in providing useful information in various domains. There seems to be an increased interest in time series clustering as part of the effort in temporal data mining research. To provide an overview, this paper surveys and summarizes previous works that investigated the clustering of time series data in various application domains. The basics of time series clustering are presented, including general-purpose clustering algorithms commonly used in time series clustering studies, the criteria for evaluating the performance of the clustering results, and the measures to determine the similarity/dissimilarity between two time series being compared, either in the forms of raw data, extracted features, or some model parameters. The past researchs are organized into three groups depending upon whether they work directly with the raw data either in the time or frequency domain, indirectly with features extracted from the raw data, or indirectly with models built from the raw data. The uniqueness and limitation of previous research are discussed and several possible topics for future research are identified. Moreover, the areas that time series clustering have been applied to are also summarized, including the sources of data used. It is hoped that this review will serve as the steppingstone for those interested in advancing this area of research.     

Two-level Clustering of Web Sites Using Self-Organizing Maps

Web sites contain an ever increasing amount of information within their pages. As the amount of information increases so does the complexity of the structure of the web site. Consequently it has become difficult for visitors to find the information relevant to their needs. To overcome this problem various clustering methods have been proposed to cluster data in an effort to help visitors find the relevant information. These clustering methods have typically focused either on the content or the context of the web pages. In this paper we are proposing a method based on Kohonen’s self-organizing map (SOM) that utilizes both content and context mining clustering techniques to help visitors identify relevant information quicker. The input of the content mining is the set of web pages of the web site whereas the source of the context mining is the access-logs of the web site. SOM can be used to identify clusters of web sessions with similar context and also clusters of web pages with similar content. It can also provide means of visualizing the outcome of this processing. In this paper we show how this two-level clustering can help visitors identify the relevant information faster. This procedure has been tested to the access-logs and web pages of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Athens.     

有监督SOM神经网络在入侵检测中的应用

为提高自组织特征映射(SOM)神经网络的分类性能,提出一种有监督SOM神经网络(SSOM)。在输入层和竞争层的基础上增加输出层,根据输入样本的不同预测类别,选取不同的公式调整权值,并训练网络。通过2个权值的组合,实现对样本类别的回归和统计。基于KDD CUP99入侵检测数据集的实验结果表明,与其他SOM网络相比,SSOM具有更好的分类性能和更高的入侵检测率。