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TopLiterature Review
The problem of determining the number of clusters in a data set is relevant across a wide variety of disciplines such as business, psychology, sociology, statistics, biology, engineering, and computer science (Li et al., 2008; Liao & Ng, 2009; Milligan & Cooper, 1985; Wedel & Kamakura, 2000). The following review briefly highlights many of these techniques and while not exhaustive, is designed to provide a sense of the various approaches that have been proposed (Carmone, Kara, & Maxwell, 1999; Dolnicar & Leisch, 2010; Li et al., 2008; Milligan & Cooper, 1985; Milligan & Hirtle, 2003; Maulik & Bandyopadhyay, 2002; Salem & Nandi, 2009).