Fuzzy elastic clustering

The authors introduce a new hybrid method called fuzzy elastic clustering for clustering and classification of patterns. It generates closed loops around a set of training patterns and sections off portions of the hyperspace thus enclosing clusters of patterns. Patterns not in the training sets are assigned fuzzy membership values with respect to each of the clusters generated. These values are defuzzified and patterns are classified as belonging to one of the clusters. This method is motivated by the elastic net approach to solving the traveling salesman problem (TSP) of R. Durbin and D. Willshaw (1987) and T. Kohonen´s (1982) topologically organized feature maps