An Agglomerative Hierarchical Variable-Clustering Method Based on a Correlation Matrix

Generally, most of researches that need a variable-clustering process use an exploratory factor analysis technique or a divisive hierarchical variable-clustering method based on a correlation matrix. And some researchers apply a object-clustering method to a distance matrix transformed from a correlation matrix, though this approach is known to be improper. On this paper an agglomerative hierarchical variable-clustering method based on a correlation matrix itself is suggested. It is derived from a geometric concept by using variate-spaces and a characterizing variate.