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Supervised & Unsupervised Learning › Hierarchical Clustering

How does Hierarchical Clustering work

Beginner

Answer

The algorithm either starts with each point as its own cluster and merges the closest ones step by step, or starts with one big cluster and splits it repeatedly.
Real-world example A biologist uses hierarchical clustering to organize different species into a tree based on genetic similarity.

Common follow-ups: What is Supervised & Unsupervised Learning, How is Hierarchical Clustering evaluated in practice, What tools are commonly used for Hierarchical Clustering