How to visualize a crisp or fuzzy topic set over a taxonomy

Abstract

A novel method for visualization of a fuzzy or crisp topic set is developed. The method maps the set's topics to higher ranks of the taxonomy tree of the field. The method involves a penalty function summing penalties for the chosen "head subjects" together with penalties for emerging "gaps" and "offshoots". The method finds a mapping minimizing the penalty function in recursive steps involving two different scenarios, that of 'gaining a head subject' and that of 'not gaining a head subject'. We illustrate the method by applying it to illustrative and real-world data. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.