Re: st: are there any statistics rules that I can apply to separate numbers into groups?

[Partha Deb <partha.deb@hunter.cuny.edu>]

Although one can never be sure what's in someone else's mind, I suspect 
you are looking for cluster analysis. -help cluster- .  Finite mixture 
models may also be of interest. -findit fmm- .  See 
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~polf0050/ISS%20Lecture%208.pdf for a set of 
slides by Stephen Fisher that has an introduction to Cluster analysis 
and finite mixture models.

Best.

Partha


Ada Ma wrote:
> Hi Statalisters,
>
> I am looking for a solution to a problem but I have no idea where to start.
>
> Let's say I have 50 packets of crisps of various weights and I would
> like to separate these 50 packets of crisps into five groups based on
> their weights in grams, as follows:
>
> 108.9702
> 111.1337
> 112.5217
> 112.6697
> 112.9962
> 114.0323
> 114.6699
> 116.8646
> 119.0719
> 124.5645
> 124.691
> 126.4943
> 126.5528
> 133.5675
> 134.9519
> 140.7979
> 144.228
> 102.8566
> 103.9373
> 104.7436
> 107.5397
> 109.4443
> 109.7089
> 110.395
> 112.1248
> 113.6032
> 115.6405
> 117.1919
> 120.0395
> 121.0714
> 121.7119
> 110.1116
> 112.0128
> 117.6563
> 118.2418
> 126.0027
> 127.8855
> 92.21352
> 92.45715
> 92.953
> 93.01508
> 94.05335
> 94.27259
> 94.38242
> 94.72507
> 94.83315
> 95.25914
> 95.37813
> 95.52933
>
> I don't want to separate them into five equally sized groups.  I want
> to separate the packets into groups so that the group members are most
> similar to one another.  I am looking for a method (or methods?) to
> achieve this end but I don't know where to start.  If you can think of
> any suggestion please fire away and I'd be most grateful!
>
> Regards,
> Ada
>
>
>   

--
Partha Deb
Professor of Economics
Hunter College
ph:  (212) 772-5435
fax: (212) 772-5398
http://urban.hunter.cuny.edu/~deb/

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds.
	- Bob Marley


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