Recently many researchers are working on cluster analysis as a main tool for exploratory data analysis and data mining. A notable feature is that specialists in di?erent ?elds of sciences are considering the tool of data clustering to be useful. A major reason is that clustering algorithms and software are ?exible in thesensethatdi?erentmathematicalframeworksareemployedinthealgorithms and a user can select a suitable method according to his application. Moreover clusteringalgorithmshavedi?erentoutputsrangingfromtheolddendrogramsof agglomerativeclustering to more recent self-organizingmaps....

This book discusses recent theoretical developments in agglomerative hierarchical clustering. The general understanding of agglomerative hierarchical clustering is that its theory was completed long ago and there is no room for further methodological studies, at least in its fundamental structure. This book has been planned counter to that view: it will show that there are possibilities for further theoretical studies and they will be not only for methodological interests but also for usefulness in real applications. When compared with traditional textbooks, the present book has several...