title: A New Variable Weighting and Selection Procedure for K-means Cluster Analysis.
abstract: A variance-to-range ratio variable weighting procedure is proposed. We show how this weighting method is theoretically grounded in the inherent variability found in data exhibiting cluster structure. In addition, a variable selection procedure is proposed to operate in conjunction with the variable weighting technique. The performances of these procedures are demonstrated in a simulation study, showing favorable results when compared with existing standardization methods. A detailed demonstration of the weighting and selection procedure is provided for the well-known Fisher Iris data and several synthetic data sets.
authors.affiliation: a University of Missouri-Columbia .
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinley
authors.affiliation: b Florida State University .
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brusco