Parallel Filter: A Visual Classifier Based on Parallel Coordinates and Multivariate Data Analysis

Multivariate visualization techniques are often used as assistant tools for classification tasks up to now. However, few classification systems fully utilize the capability of multivariate visualization and integrate them with multivariate analysis algorithms into a compact system. We propose an interactive visual classification model based on some multivariate graphical presentation in this paper. As an example of it, a visual classifier based on parallel coordinates plot is developed. The multivariate data is first mapped to the parallel coordinates plot, and then an optimizer based on linear discriminant analysis optimizes it into the visualization more fit for classification tasks. This optimized visualization then can be processed by decision tree algorithm and attain classification rules. It has the merit of making the invisible visible and users can steer the classification process, consequently favor the understanding and knowledge discovery of original data.