Klíčová slova:
EM algorithm, distribution mixtures, cluster analysis, cathe
Anotace:
The EM algorithm has been used repeatedly to identify latent classes in categorical data by estimating finite distribution mixtures of product components. Unfortunately, the underlying mixtures are not uniquely identifiable and, moreover, the estimated mixture parameters are starting-point dependent. For this reason we use the latent class model only to define a set of ``elementary'' classes by estimating a mixture of a large number components. As such a mixture we use also an optimally smoothed kernel estimate. We propose a hierarchical ``bottom up'' cluster analysis based on unifying the elementary latent classes sequentially. The clustering procedure is controlled by minimum information loss criterion.