The fuzzy c spherical shells algorithm: A new approach

The fuzzy c spherical shells (FCSS) algorithm is specially designed to search for clusters that can be described by circular arcs or, generally, by shells of hyperspheres. A new approach to the FCSS algorithm is presented. This algorithm is computationally and implementationally simpler than other clustering algorithms that have been suggested for this purpose. An unsupervised algorithm which automatically finds the optimum number of clusters is not known. It uses a cluster validity measure to identify good clusters, merges all compatible clusters, and eliminates spurious clusters to achieve the final results. Experimental results on several data sets are presented