Adaptive fuzzy leader clustering of complex data sets in pattern recognition.

A modular, unsupervised neural network architecture that can be used for clustering and classification of complex data sets is presented. The adaptive fuzzy leader clustering (AFLC) architecture is a hybrid neural-fuzzy system that learns online in a stable and efficient manner. The system used a control structure similar to that found in the adaptive resonance theory (ART-1) network to identify the cluster centers initially. The initial classification of an input takes place in a two-stage process: a simple competitive stage and a distance metric comparison stage. The cluster prototypes are then incrementally updated by relocating the centroid position from fuzzy C-means (FCM) system equations for the centroids and the membership values. The operational characteristics of AFLC and the critical parameters involved in its operation are discussed. The AFLC algorithm is applied to the Anderson iris data and laser-luminescent finger image data. The AFLC algorithm successfully classifies features extracted from real data, discrete or continuous, indicating the potential strength of this new clustering algorithm in analyzing complex data sets.