Machine Learning with scikit-learn Quick Start Guide

Assignment of centroids

The first step that the algorithm takes is to assign a set of random centroids. Assuming that we want to find two distinct clusters or groups, the algorithm can assign two centroids, as shown in the following diagram:

Centroids, represented by stars

In the preceding diagram, the stars represent the centroids of the algorithm. Note that in this case, the clusters' centers perfectly fit the two distinct groups. This is the most ideal case. In reality, the means (or centroids) are assigned randomly, and, with every iteration, the cluster centroids move closer to the center of the two groups.

The algorithm is known as ...