Classes Of Similar Objects Research Articles

Theory of classification of objects by predicates

The forming of classes of similar objects is no trivial matter, and an operation for determining equality is obviously the first step in measurement. Furthermore, from the cognitive aspects of human information processing, it provides the basis of all our categorization and concept formation. The nature of this classification procedure, however, has not so far been examined fully in the context of measurement theory. The present paper picks up this important, though neglected, subject. Within a formal framework we examine the basic nature of classification procedure, regarding it as a form of measurement, introduce some new notions and principles to reveal its so far unknown essential features, and discuss the possibilities of reinterpretation of the nominal scale. Through such a recapitulation of the classification procedure, the scope of measurement theory will be enlarged so as to embrace, for instance, some fundamental problems of knowledge technology, cognitive aspects of human information processing, and a metrical approach to logical and philosophical topics, beyond mere ranking and numericalization.

Conceptualizing Social Structure: The Misuse of Classification in Structural Modeling

Conceptualizing Social Structure: The Misuse of Classification in Structural Modeling

A Review of Hierarchical Classification

SUMMARY A review is presented of methods of summarizing the relationships within a set of objects by a set of hierarchically-nested classes of similar objects, representable by a rooted tree diagram. Material covered includes algorithms for obtaining tree diagrams, comments on the selection of appropriate methods of analysis and the validation of classifications, distributions of different types of tree, and consensus trees.