Method and apparatus for selecting clusterings to classify a data set

A method for selecting clusterings to classify a data set, the method implemented in a data processor having a memory and a display and comprising:

• a) using the data processor to create a lower dimensional space of all possible clusterings and storing the space in the memory, each clustering being associated with an allocation of objects to be clustered and corresponding to a point in the lower dimensional space;
• b) using the data processor to sample the stored lower dimensional space based on a number of objects in the data set;
• c) using the data processor to build partitions based on the samples that tessellate the lower-dimensional space of all possible clusterings, the clusterings being tessellated based on similarities among the objects in the associated allocations;
• d) using the data processor to select partitions and determine remaining point locations in the lower dimensional space;
• e) using the data processor to project the points of the lower dimensional space to a two dimensional array of points;
• and
• f) displaying, on the display, points in the two-dimensional array.