Yet another tool of the family of the NBI-algorithm based methods is the displacement cluster (DC) technique. It allows for a search for analogs of an object described by a large set of variables (patterns, texts, identification tables, etc.). The advantage of this technique is that it can locate not only an object that is identical to a specified target object, but also analogous objects with a desired similarity degree.

The substance of the displacement cluster function is as follows. In order to locate a target object in a dataset, the program creates a monotonous sequence of target-imitating objects wherein each subsequent imitator only slightly differs from a preceding one, so as this group of objects cannot be separated under given resolution requirements, thus forming a so-called displacement cluster. During a dataset clustering process, the inseparable cluster of target-imitators “attaches” the target object and displaces all other objects that do not match the specified similarity degree. Those objects that bear close similarity to a target object form proximity clusters and can easily be identified. Displacement clusters may be of different configuration (e.g. rectangular, or wedged) and have a different number of imitating objects.

Fig. 49 illustrates a DC operation on the example of data on 228 U.S. cities of 49 states and District of Columbia based on 108 parameters as specified in the legend to Fig. 20A. A rectangular displacement cluster consisting of 8 components with 5% permitted variance was computed to locate a specific city (El Paso, TX) in the dataset. In the same way, one can have a DC computed for locating any hypothetical target object analogous to a specific sample. As is seen, 223 cities are located on one branch, while El Paso, TX, and the 8 components of the displacement cluster, as well as four other cities with climatic characteristics close to those of El Paso, TX, are grouped together as a separate branch. The group of similar cities includes three cities of Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. All these cities, including El Paso, TX, are located in the arid zone and have similar climates.