A Variation on a Nonparametric Clustering Method

A single modification to a mode-seeking clustering algorithm proposed by Koontz, Narendra, and Fukunaga is shown to generate a novel clustering and to provide an indication of cluster stability. The modified method should provide better clusterings for ``uniform, touching'' clusters than the original, although the original should work better than the modified method for ``touching Gaussian'' clusters. Suitable ranges for the clustering parameters of both methods are investigated. Since the modification requires changing only one line of the original algorithm, two clusterings can be obtained for the price of one coding.