Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Course Code: CD503
Course Name: Pattern Recognition

I. Classification

Classification is the task of assigning a class label to an input pattern. The class label indicates
one of a given set of classes. The classification is carried out with the help of a model obtained
using a learning procedure.”

Definition: “Classification in pattern recognition system refers to the process of

categorizing or labeling data into predefined classes or categories based on their
inherent characteristics or features.

The learning procedure is typically supervised learning, which means that the model is trained
on a set of labeled data. The labeled data consists of input patterns and their corresponding
class labels. The model learns to identify the features that are common to each class and then
uses these features to classify new data points.

There are many different classification algorithms available, each with its own strengths and
weaknesses. Some of the most popular classification algorithms include:

• Support vector machines (SVMs): SVMs are a powerful classification algorithm that
can handle complex data sets.
• Decision trees: Decision trees are a simple and intuitive classification algorithm that is
easy to understand and interpret.
• Random forests: Random forests are an ensemble learning algorithm that combines
multiple decision trees to improve accuracy.
• Neural networks: Neural networks are a powerful machine learning algorithm that can
learn complex patterns in data.

The choice of which classification algorithm to use depends on the specific application. For
example, SVMs are often used for image classification, while decision trees are often used for
customer segmentation.

Examples of Classification:

• Spam filtering: Spam filters use classification algorithms to identify spam emails.
• Image classification: Image classification algorithms are used to classify images into
different categories, such as fruits, animals, or vehicles.
• Medical diagnosis: Medical diagnosis algorithms are used to diagnose diseases based
on patient symptoms and medical history.
• Fraud detection: Fraud detection algorithms are used to identify fraudulent transactions,
such as credit card fraud.
• Market analysis: Market analysis algorithms are used to segment customers and
identify market trends.
 Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Course Code: CD503
Course Name: Pattern Recognition

II. Clustering

Clustering is a fundamental technique in data analysis and unsupervised machine learning that
involves grouping similar data points together based on certain criteria or features. The goal of
clustering is to discover hidden patterns, structures, or natural groupings within a dataset
without prior knowledge of the class labels or categories.

“Definition : Clustering is a data analysis method that involves the partitioning of

a dataset into subsets or clusters, where data points within the same cluster are
more similar to each other than to those in other clusters.”

The similarity or dissimilarity between data points is typically determined using a distance or
similarity metric, such as Euclidean distance, cosine similarity, or other domain-specific
measures.

Key points to understand about clustering:

Unsupervised Learning: Clustering is an unsupervised learning technique, meaning that it

does not require labeled data or predefined categories. Instead, it identifies patterns or
groupings in the data based on inherent similarities among data points.

Cluster Formation: Clusters are formed by grouping data points that are close to each other
in the feature space. The closeness or similarity is determined by a chosen distance metric, and
data points with smaller distances are more likely to belong to the same cluster.

Cluster Centers: Clusters often have a central point or representative called a cluster center or
centroid. Various algorithms, such as k-means clustering, use centroids to define cluster
boundaries.

Applications: Clustering is widely used in various fields, including data analysis, image
processing, recommendation systems, customer segmentation, biology, and more. For
example, it can be used to segment customers into different groups for targeted marketing or
to identify distinct patterns in gene expression data.

Types of Clustering Algorithms: There are several clustering algorithms, each with its own
approach to forming clusters. Some common algorithms include k-means clustering,
hierarchical clustering, DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with
Noise), and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM).

Evaluation: Clustering quality can be assessed using metrics like silhouette score, Davies-
Bouldin index, or within-cluster sum of squares (WCSS) for k-means. However, since
clustering is unsupervised, evaluation can sometimes be subjective and domain-dependent.

Number of Clusters: One of the critical decisions in clustering is determining the number of
clusters (k) in advance. This can be challenging and often requires domain knowledge or the
use of techniques like the elbow method or silhouette analysis to find an optimal k.
 Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Course Code: CD503
Course Name: Pattern Recognition

III. Difference between classification and clustering

The main difference between classification and clustering in pattern recognition is that
classification assigns data points to predefined classes, while clustering groups data points
together based on their similarities.

Classification Clustering

In classification, the data points are In clustering, the data points are not
labeled with their corresponding class. labeled. The clustering algorithm
For example, a set of images of fruits groups the data points together based
could be labeled as apples, oranges, on their similarities. For example, a
bananas, and so on. The classification set of customer data could be clustered
algorithm learns to identify the into groups of customers who have
features that are common to each class similar spending habits. The
and then uses these features to classify clustering algorithm learns to identify
new data points. the features that are common to each

together based on these features.

Here is a table summarizing the key differences between classification and clustering:

Feature Classification Clustering

Data Labeled Unlabeled
Goal Assign data points to Group data points together based on their
predefined classes similarities
Algorithm Learns to identify the Learns to identify the features that are
features that are common common to each cluster
to each class
Application Spam filtering, image Customer segmentation, market analysis,
classification, medical text clustering
diagnosis

Classification and clustering are both important techniques in pattern recognition. The choice
of which technique to use depends on the specific application.

Below are some examples of how classification and clustering are used in pattern recognition:

• Classification: Spam filtering, image classification, medical diagnosis

• Clustering: Customer segmentation, market analysis, text clustering
 Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Course Code: CD503
Course Name: Pattern Recognition

In spam filtering, emails are classified as spam or not spam. The classification algorithm learns
to identify the features that are common to spam emails, such as the use of certain keywords
or phrases.

In image classification, images are classified into different categories, such as fruits, animals,
or vehicles. The classification algorithm learns to identify the features that are common to each
category, such as the shape, color, and texture of the objects in the image.

In medical diagnosis, patients are classified as having a certain disease or not having the
disease. The classification algorithm learns to identify the features that are common to patients
with the disease, such as the symptoms, medical history, and lab results.

In customer segmentation, customers are grouped together based on their similarities, such as
their spending habits, demographics, or interests. The clustering algorithm learns to identify
the features that are common to each cluster, such as the products that the customers buy or the
websites that they visit.

In market analysis, products are grouped together based on their similarities, such as their price,
features, or target market. The clustering algorithm learns to identify the features that are
common to each cluster, such as the products that are often bought together or the products that
are used by the same customers.

In text clustering, documents are grouped together based on their similarities, such as their
topic, genre, or writing style. The clustering algorithm learns to identify the features that are
common to each cluster, such as the words that are used in the documents or the relationships
between the words.