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A cutting plane algorithm for a clustering problem

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Abstract

In this paper we consider a clustering problem that arises in qualitative data analysis. This problem can be transformed to a combinatorial optimization problem, the clique partitioning problem. We have studied the latter problem from a polyhedral point of view and determined large classes of facets of the associated polytope. These theoretical results are utilized in this paper. We describe a cutting plane algorithm that is based on the simplex method and uses exact and heuristic separation routines for some of the classes of facets mentioned before. We discuss some details of the implementation of our code and present our computational results. We mention applications from, e.g., zoology, economics, and the political sciences.

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Grötschel, M., Wakabayashi, Y. A cutting plane algorithm for a clustering problem. Mathematical Programming 45, 59–96 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01589097

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01589097

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