Joint consensus kernel learning and adaptive hypergraph regularization for graph-based clustering

Recent advancements in multiple kernel learning-based graph clustering methods have demonstrated significant promise in effectively learning a consensus kernel matrix from various candidate kernel matrices. This approach enables the creation of a low-dimensional representation in the kernel space of high-dimensional data through self-expressiveness. However, a key challenge remains in capturing the latent geometric properties embedded within different kernel matrices to enhance data representation. In this paper, we propose a novel method called joint consensus kernel learning and adaptive hypergraph regularization for graph-based clustering (JKHR). Our approach integrates an innovative adaptive hypergraph Laplacian regularizer, which is characterized by the fusion of multiple nearest neighbor kernel graphs, into the multiple kernel learning-based graph clustering framework. JKHR jointly and adaptively optimizes both the consensus kernel matrix and the hypergraph Laplacian regularizer to achieve a low-dimensional representation that effectively preserves the intrinsic geometry of the data. Experimental results on both synthetic and real benchmark datasets demonstrate that JKHR outperforms state-of-the-art self-expressiveness-based graph clustering methods as well as traditional clustering techniques.