A survey on soft subspace clustering

Subspace clustering (SC) is a promising technology involving clusters that are identified based on their association with subspaces in high-dimensional spaces. SC can be classified into hard subspace clustering (HSC) and soft subspace clustering (SSC). While HSC algorithms have been studied extensively and are well accepted by the scientific community, SSC algorithms are relatively new. However, as they are said to be more adaptable than their HSC counterparts, SSC algorithms have been attracting more attention in recent years. A comprehensive survey of existing SSC algorithms and recent developments in the field are presented in this paper. SSC algorithms have been systematically classified into three main categories: conventional SSC (CSSC), independent SSC (ISSC), and extended SSC (XSSC). The characteristics of these algorithms are highlighted and potential future developments in the area of SSC are discussed. Through a comprehensive review of SSC, this paper aims to provide readers with a clear profile of existing SSC methods and to foster the development of more effective clustering technologies and significant research in this area. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.