A shrinking synchronization clustering algorithm based on a linear weighted Vicsek model

The purpose of clustering is to identify distributions and patterns within unlabelled datasets. Since the proposal of the original synchronization clustering (SynC) algorithm in 2010, synchronization clustering has become a significant research direction. This paper proposes a shrinking synchronization clustering (SSynC) algorithm utilizing a linear weighted Vicsek model. SSynC algorithm is developed from SynC algorithm and a more effective synchronization clustering (ESynC) algorithm. Through analysis and comparison, we find that SSynC algorithm demonstrates superior synchronization effect compared to SynC algorithm, which is based on an extensive Kuramoto model. Additionally, it exhibits similar effect to ESynC algorithm, based on a linear version of Vicsek model. In the simulations, a comparison is conducted between several synchronization clustering algorithms and classical clustering algorithms. Through experiments using some artificial datasets, eight real datasets and three picture datasets, we observe that compared to SynC algorithm, SSynC algorithm not only achieves a better local synchronization effect but also requires fewer iterations and incurs lower time costs. Furthermore, when compared to ESynC algorithm, SSynC algorithm obtains reduced time costs while achieving nearly the same local synchronization effect and the same number of iterations. Extensive comparison experiments with some class clustering algorithms demonstrate the effectiveness of SSynC algorithm.