Typical Size, Typical Shape compares the resulting clusters of the same dataset processed by three different algorithms.
Shown in three rows, all the blocks in the Bronx are initially sorted by size. On clicking any block, each row becomes sorted by clusters and centers on the selected block. Across rows, blocks in the “same” clusters are compared. In one algorithm, a block may be part of a cluster with only 5 other blocks while in another, additional blocks may be deemed similar.
Technicals
Different clustering results from using K-Means Clustering, Gaussian Mixture Modeling and Agglomerative Clustering. Refer to Comparing Clusters (061) for a description of each algorithm.
The map is built using d3 on three separate canvases, one per algorithm. This inherently has some limitations such as drawing elements across each row, but was used to quickly achieve independently sorting the clusters and scrolling to the appropriate location on click.
Next Steps
- Build the map on a single canvas; when focused on a single cluster, draw connecting lines across the rows for each block in the selected cluster