Data Science For Dummies

Chapter 6

Clustering and Classification with Nearest Neighbor Algorithms

In This Chapter

Seeing the benefits of nearest neighbor analysis

Tackling clustering

Working through average nearest neighbor algorithms

Mastering the core features and characteristics of k-nearest neighbor algorithms

Seeing how nearest neighbor algorithms can be used in the retail sector

Your plain-vanilla clustering and classification algorithms can help you subdivide your datasets so that you can build predictive models that you can then use to classify future data points. But there’s more to life than plain vanilla. I think it’s about time we take things one step further by exploring the more subtle nuances of clustering and classification algorithms. More specifically, this chapter introduces some deeper classification concepts as they relate to the average nearest neighbor and k-nearest neighbor algorithms.

Making Sense of Data with Nearest Neighbor Analysis

At its core, the purpose of a nearest neighbor ...