Functional data clustering: a survey

Clustering techniques for functional data are reviewed. Four groups of clustering algorithms for functional data are proposed. The first group consists of methods working directly on the evaluation points of the curves. The second groups is defined by filtering methods which first approximate the curves into a finite basis of functions and second perform clustering using the basis expansion coefficients. The third groups is composed of methods which perform simultaneously dimensionality reduction of the curves and clustering, leading to functional representation of data depending on clusters. The last group consists of distance-based methods using clustering algorithms based on specific distances for functional data. A software review as well as an illustration of the application of these algorithms on real data are presented.