Clustering apparatus, clustering method, and storage medium

A clustering apparatus, comprising:

• an accepting unit that accepts two or more pieces of target data, each of which is data targeted for clustering and is a vector having two or more elements;
• a slime mold information constructing unit that constructs, using the two or more pieces of target data, slime mold information, which is information having two or more pieces of cell information consisting of one piece of hub cell information having a vector in the same number of dimensions as that of the target data and one or more pieces of branch cell information each having a vector in the same number of dimensions as that of the target data;
• a clustering unit that associates each of the two or more pieces of target data with branch cell information having the shortest distance from the vector contained in the branch cell information to the target data, among the one or more pieces of branch cell information contained in the slime mold information constructed by the slime mold information constructing unit, thereby clustering the target data into clusters in the same number as that of the pieces of branch cell information;
• and
• an output unit that outputs a clustering result obtained by the clustering unit,
• wherein the slime mold information constructing unit includes:
• a hub cell information constructing part that acquires representative data, which is a vector representing the two or more pieces of target data, and constructs hub cell information having a vector that is the representative data;
• and
• a branch cell information constructing part that performs processing that constructs new branch cell information, and processing that updates the vector contained in the constructed branch cell information so as to reduce a distance to any one piece of target data among the two or more pieces of target data, using the two or more pieces of target data and the constructed slime mold information.

A clustering method performed using an accepting unit, a slime mold information constructing unit, a clustering unit, an output unit, a hub cell information constructing part included in the slime mold information constructing unit, and a branch cell information constructing part included in the slime mold information constructing unit, comprising:

• an accepting step of the accepting unit accepting two or more pieces of target data, each of which is data targeted for clustering and is data having two or more elements;
• a slime mold information constructing step of the slime mold information constructing unit constructing, using the two or more pieces of target data, slime mold information, which is information obtained by modeling a predation behavior by a slime mold, and is information having two or more pieces of cell information consisting of one piece of hub cell information corresponding to a central cell of the slime mold and one or more pieces of branch cell information each corresponding to a cell that is divided from the central cell for predation, the hub cell information and the branch cell information each having a vector in the same number of dimensions as that of the target data;
• a clustering step of the clustering unit associating each of the two or more pieces of target data with branch cell information having the shortest distance from the vector contained in the branch cell information to the target data, among the one or more pieces of branch cell information contained in the slime mold information constructed by the slime mold information constructing unit, thereby clustering the target data into clusters in the same number as that of the pieces of branch cell information;
• and
• an output step of the output unit outputting a clustering result obtained by the clustering unit,
• wherein the slime mold information constructing step includes:
• a hub cell information constructing step of the hub cell information constructing part acquiring representative data, which is a vector representing the two or more pieces of target data, and constructing hub cell information having a vector that is the representative data;
• and
• a branch cell information constructing step of the branch cell information constructing part performing processing that constructs new branch cell information, and processing that updates the vector contained in the constructed branch cell information so as to reduce a distance to any one piece of target data among the two or more pieces of target data, using the two or more pieces of target data and the constructed slime mold information.

A storage medium in which a program is stored, the program causing a computer to function as:

• an accepting unit that accepts two or more pieces of target data, each of which is data targeted for clustering and is a vector having two or more elements;
• a slime mold information constructing unit that constructs, using the two or more pieces of target data, slime mold information, which is information obtained by modeling a predation behavior by a slime mold, and is information having two or more pieces of cell information consisting of one piece of hub cell information corresponding to a central cell of the slime mold and one or more pieces of branch cell information each corresponding to a cell that is divided from the central cell for predation, the hub cell information and the branch cell information each having a vector in the same number of dimensions as that of the target data;
• a clustering unit that associates each of the two or more pieces of target data with branch cell information having the shortest distance from the vector contained in the branch cell information to the target data, among the one or more pieces of branch cell information contained in the slime mold information constructed by the slime mold information constructing unit, thereby clustering the target data into clusters in the same number as that of the pieces of branch cell information;
• and
• an output unit that outputs a clustering result obtained by the clustering unit,
• wherein the program causes the slime mold information constructing unit to function as:
• a hub cell information constructing part that acquires representative data, which is a vector representing the two or more pieces of target data, and constructs hub cell information having a vector that is the representative data;
• and
• a branch cell information constructing part that performs processing that constructs new branch cell information, and processing that updates the vector contained in the constructed branch cell information so as to reduce a distance to any one piece of target data among the two or more pieces of target data, using the two or more pieces of target data and the constructed slime mold information.