Multidimensional Scaling in Python: A Comprehensive Guide
Have you ever wondered how you can analyze complex sets of data containing various observations and their similarities in a 2- or 3-dimensional space? Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is the answer.
In this article, we will explore what multidimensional scaling is, how to perform it using Python’s MDS() function, and provide an interactive example to visualize the results.
What is Multidimensional Scaling?
Multidimensional scaling is a data analysis technique used to reduce the number of dimensions in a dataset while preserving the similarities between observations. The goal is to represent the data points within a dimensional space, often Cartesian space, while preserving the relationships between the points.
These spaces can be 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, or even higher. In simple terms, MDS is used to answer questions like “What are the similarities between different objects?” or “Can we classify items based on their features?”.
The similarity between two objects is represented as a distance between them in the dimensional space. The closer the objects, the greater the similarity.
Performing Multidimensional Scaling with MDS() Function
Python offers a wide range of libraries for performing multidimensional scaling, but we will use the MDS() function provided by the Scikit-Learn library, specifically its manifold module, to perform MDS. Before feeding the data into the function, it needs to be prepared in an appropriate format.
We will use a pandas DataFrame for this purpose. Suppose we have data on basketball players and their stats like points, assists, blocks, and rebounds.
We can create a pandas DataFrame with the stats and perform MDS on them to find out similarities and groupings.
Creating a Pandas DataFrame
We start by importing the pandas library and creating a DataFrame with the players’ stats.
import pandas as pd
players_df = pd.DataFrame({
'Player': ['Lebron James', 'Kobe Bryant', 'Michael Jordan', 'Kevin Durant', 'Steph Curry'],
'Points': [27.2, 25.0, 30.1, 27.1, 24.2],
'Assists': [7.2, 4.7, 5.3, 5.9, 6.6],
'Blocks': [0.8, 0.5, 0.8, 1.1, 0.2],
'Rebounds': [7.4, 5.2, 6.2, 7.1, 4.4]
})
The columns in this DataFrame represent our dimensions, while the rows represent our different observations (basketball players).
Performing Multidimensional Scaling with MDS() Function and Visualizing Results
After the DataFrame has been created, we can perform MDS using the MDS function and visualize the results using a scatterplot.
from sklearn.manifold import MDS
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
mds = MDS(n_components=2, dissimilarity='euclidean')
results = mds.fit(players_df.iloc[:,1:].values)
coordinates = results.embedding_
plt.scatter(coordinates[:,0], coordinates[:,1])
for i in range(len(coordinates)):
plt.text(coordinates[i,0], coordinates[i,1], players_df.iat[i,0])
plt.xlabel('1st Dimension')
plt.ylabel('2nd Dimension')
Here, we have specified that we want to use two dimensions for visualization and used Euclidean distance as a measure of similarity between points.
The coordinates of the points are extracted and plotted in a scatterplot using Matplotlib. In the scatterplot, similar observations appear closer to each other, while dissimilar observations are further apart.
In our example, we see that players like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are similar in terms of their stats, while Steph Curry is relatively different.
Conclusion
Multidimensional scaling is a powerful tool for visualizing relationships and similarities between observations in a dataset. Python has a wealth of libraries that make it easy to perform multidimensional scaling, and the use of pandas DataFrames makes it easy to preprocess data before feeding it into MDS() function.
With the help of visualizations like scatterplots, the results of the MDS can be easily understood and interpreted.
Understanding the Results of Multidimensional Scaling
Multidimensional scaling provides a visual representation of a dataset in a reduced dimensional space, making it easier to interpret the relationships between observations. In this section, we will explore how to interpret the results of multidimensional scaling using scatterplots.
Interpretation of Scatterplot
One of the most common ways to visualize and interpret MDS results is by using a scatterplot. The scatterplot plots each observation in a 2-dimensional space, with the distance between the points representing the similarity between them.
In the scatterplot, observations with similar values will be closer to each other, while those with different values will be further apart. The closer the observations, the greater their similarity.
In the context of our basketball players’ example, players with similar stats will be closer to each other on the scatterplot. The scatterplot also allows us to identify patterns, clusters, and groupings of observations.
In our example, we can see that players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are closer to each other on the scatterplot, indicating that they have similar stats. At the same time, players like Steph Curry appear to be further away, indicating that they have different stats.
Explaining Differences in Scatterplot
While the scatterplot is an excellent tool for interpreting the results of multidimensional scaling, it is important to understand that differences in the scatterplot can have different explanations. For instance, in the basketball players’ example, players like Kevin Durant and Lebron James appear to be farther apart on the scatterplot.
This difference can be because of several reasons. First, the distance between two points on the scatterplot is only a relative measure of similarity, and so it is necessary to take the actual values of the players’ stats into account as well.
It is possible that the values of their stats are more dissimilar than those of other players, leading to a larger distance between them. Another reason for differences in the scatterplot could be that we are only visualizing the data within a 2-dimensional space.
With a higher number of dimensions, the balance between players’ stats may change. Therefore, some players may appear closer to others when we plot them in a higher dimensional space.
Additional Resources
Multidimensional scaling is a versatile technique with various applications in different fields like biology, psychology, marketing, and social networks. Here are some additional resources to help learn more about the technique and its applications.
Learning More About Multidimensional Scaling
- Scikit-Learn Documentation: The official documentation for the Scikit-Learn library contains a detailed explanation of multidimensional scaling and how to use the MDS() function.
- DataCamp’s Multidimensional Scaling in Python: This course offered by DataCamp provides an in-depth explanation of multidimensional scaling, how to apply it, and real-world applications.
- Psychometric Data Analysis with R: This book by Tenko Raykov and George Marcoulides is a comprehensive guide to psychometric data analysis, including a chapter on multidimensional scaling.
Further Applications of Multidimensional Scaling
- Market Segmentation: Multidimensional scaling is often used in market research to identify consumer preferences and understand customer behavior.
- Social Networks: Multidimensional scaling can be used to analyze relationships and connections in social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Ecology: Multidimensional scaling is used in ecology to study community structure and visualize relationships between different species.
In conclusion, multidimensional scaling is a useful data analysis technique that provides visual representations of complex datasets in a reduced dimensional space. By using tools like scatterplots, we can interpret the results of MDS and gain insights into the relationships between observations.
With various applications in different fields and resources available online, multidimensional scaling has become a popular addition to the data scientist’s toolkit.