arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 25

Selective Inference for Deep Clustering in Latent Spaces

The paper introduces a selective inference framework tailored for deep clustering that uses a fixed pretrained encoder to map high‑dimensional data into a latent space before clustering. It addresses the complex selection bias arising from the nonlinear transformation and offers a computationally tractable method to perform valid statistical tests on cluster differences. Experiments on synthetic data show controlled Type I error and higher power compared to conservative baselines, while genomic case studies demonstrate the ability to uncover significant cluster differences while properly accounting for selection bias.

By Eina Mizui, Tomohiro Shiraishi, Shunichi Nishino, Ichiro Takeuchi
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 26

How to Achieve the Intended Aim of Deep Clustering Now, without Deep Learning

The paper examines whether Deep Embedded Clustering (DEC) truly overcomes the fundamental limitations of k‑means clustering, such as handling clusters of arbitrary shapes, varied sizes, and densities. Through analysis, it finds that DEC does not exploit the underlying data distribution and therefore fails to address these limitations. Instead, a non‑deep learning approach that leverages distributional information of clusters can achieve the intended goals of deep clustering.

By Kai Ming Ting, Wei-Jie Xu, Hang Zhang