Validating clusters using the Hopkins statistic

A novel scheme for cluster validity using a test for random position hypothesis is proposed. The random position hypothesis is tested against an alternative clustered hypothesis on every cluster produced by a partitioning algorithm. A test statistic such as the well-known Hopkins statistic could be used as a basis to accept or reject the random position hypothesis, which is also the null hypothesis in this case. The Hopkins statistic is known to be a fair estimator of randomness in a data set. The concept is borrowed from the clustering tendency domain and its applicability to validating clusters is shown here using two artificially constructed test data sets.