Dendrogram
- Visualizes hierarchical relationships among items using a tree-like structure.
- Organizes data by similarity, linking closely related items and progressively grouping less similar ones.
- Commonly used to analyze complex datasets in fields such as biology and data mining.
Definition
Section titled “Definition”A dendrogram is a diagram that shows the hierarchical relationship between different groups or clusters of data, typically constructed by linking individual items or groups of items that are similar to each other based on a set of predefined criteria.
Explanation
Section titled “Explanation”A dendrogram arranges data into a tree-like structure. Items that are most closely related appear near the top of the tree, while more distantly related items appear further down. The tree is formed by successively linking items or clusters that meet similarity criteria, producing branches that reflect the hierarchical organization of the dataset. Dendrograms are useful for visualizing and analyzing the structure of complex data sets.
Examples
Section titled “Examples”Biological example
Section titled “Biological example”Imagine a group of animals that belong to different species. A dendrogram can show the relationship between these animals based on physical characteristics, such as the shape of their body and the color of their fur. The dendrogram would start with the animals that are most similar to each other at the top of the tree and branch out to include animals that are less similar as you move down the tree.
Financial example
Section titled “Financial example”A dendrogram can show the relationship between different stock market indices based on their historical performance, indicating which indices tend to move in a similar way over time. This visualization can be useful for investors looking for opportunities to diversify their portfolios.
Use cases
Section titled “Use cases”- Biology: visualizing relationships among species or specimens.
- Data mining: analyzing cluster structure within complex datasets.
- Finance: identifying groups of indices with similar historical behavior to inform diversification.
Related terms
Section titled “Related terms”- Hierarchical clustering
- Clusters
- Tree-like structure
- Similarity criteria