Annealing-based model-free expectation maximisation for multi-colour flow cytometry data clustering

Abstract

This paper proposes an optimised model-free expectation maximisation method for automated clustering of high-dimensional datasets. The method is based on a recursive binary division strategy that successively divides an original dataset into distinct clusters. Each binary division is carriedout using a model-free expectation maximisation scheme that exploits the posterior probability computation capability of the quasi-supervised learningalgorithm subjected to a line-search optimisation over the reference set size parameter analogous to a simulated annealing approach. The divisions arecontinued until a division cost exceeds an adaptively determined limit. Experiment results on synthetic as well as real multi-colour flow cytometrydatasets showed that the proposed method can accurately capture the prominent clusters without requiring any prior knowledge on the number of clusters ortheir distribution models.