Clustering and classification of fuzzy data using the fuzzy EM algorithm

In this article, we address the problem of clustering imprecise data using a finite mixture of Gaussians. We propose to estimate the parameters of the model using the fuzzy EM algorithm. This extension of the EM algorithm allows us to handle imprecise data represented by fuzzy numbers. First, we briefly recall the principle of the fuzzy EM algorithm. Then, we provide closed-forms for the parameter estimates in the case of Gaussian fuzzy data. We also describe a Monte-Carlo procedure for estimating the parameter updates in the general case. Experiments carried out on synthetic and real data demonstrate the interest of our approach for taking into account attribute and label uncertainty.