Mutual neighbors

A computing system for classifying data elements comprising:

• a memory storing an unlabeled data set, the unlabeled data set having a plurality of data elements represented in a feature space, and storing executable instructions;
• and
• at least one processor configured to execute the executable instructions, the executable instructions causing the processor to:
• generate a labeled data set by:
• selecting from the unlabeled data set, one or more representative data elements to represent corresponding clusters of data elements, the selecting based on proximity of the representative data elements to neighboring data elements within the feature space;
• labeling the representative data elements to identify the corresponding clusters;
• and
• for each one of a sequence of data elements, beginning with said representative data elements:
• selecting a labeled data element in the sequence;
• selecting unlabeled data elements neighboring that labeled data element;
• copying a label from that labeled data element to the selected unlabeled data elements;
• and
• adding the selected unlabeled data elements to the sequence.

A computing device comprising:

• a memory storing an unlabeled data set, the unlabeled data set having a plurality of data elements represented in a feature space;
• a data element selector to select one or more representative data elements to represent corresponding clusters of data elements, based on proximity of the representative data elements to neighboring data elements within the feature space from the unlabeled data set;
• a label generator to label the representative data elements to identify the corresponding clusters, and to propagate labels from labeled data elements in the data set to unlabeled data elements in the data set by,
• for each one of a sequence of data elements, beginning with said representative data elements:
• selecting a labeled data element in the sequence;
• selecting unlabeled data elements neighboring that labeled data element;
• copying a label from that labeled data element to the selected unlabeled data elements;
• and
• adding the selected unlabeled data elements to the sequence.