Cluster analysis applied to the Human Development Index (HDI) of Brazilian States

Abstract

This study aims to compare the performance of each method (hierarchical and non-hierarchical) of the grouping formed by several HDI from the 27 brazilian states, through the cluster analysis technique. As well as determining how many states there are in each formed group, to thus specify which technique best represents the data. Data from Atlas Brasil 2013 were used in relation to the 2010 HDI. For cluster analysis, the Mahalanobins matrix was used with the hierarchical method, from the data obtained, we applied the simple linkage methods, complete, average, ward liaison and a non-hierarchical method through the K-means method, the conphenetic correlation coefficient was also applied to measure the degree of fit between the original similar matrices and the resulting matrix of simplification provided by the grouping method. However, the method that best represents the data was the complete link. When grouping the states, the similarity between the HDI-R, HDI-L and HDI-S variables was considered this relationship formed similar groups between the connections from different regions of Brazil.