PRIM-9: An Interactive Multidimensional Data Display and Analysis System

(Submitted to A.E.C. Scientific Computer Information Exchange Meeting, May 2-3, 1974) PRIM-9 is an interactive data display and analysis system for the examination and dissection of multidimensional data. It allows the user to manipulate and view point sets in up to nine dimensions. This is accomplished by providing all 36 two-dimensional projections along the original axes at the push of a button, along with the ability to rotate the data to any desired orientation. These rotations are performed in real time and in a continuous manner under operator control. From the parallax effect, arising from the dynamic aspect of this continuous rotation, one perceives a third dimension (depth into the screen). PRIM-9 gives the operator the ability to perform manual projection pursuit. That is, by rotation and view change he can look at his data from all possible angles in the multidimensional space and try to find those that provide interesting structure. The system also allows interactive masking and isolation. The user can conveniently mask on any or all of the current variables, thus isolating interesting structures found:long the way. These interesting structures can then be further analyzed alone, or may be subtracted from the total sample to simplify the search for still other structures. In addition to this strategy, the user may invoke an automatic projection pursuit algorithm. Starting at any projection (view), this numerical algorithm will search (in much the same manner as a human operator) for those projections that provide interesting structure. The system also incorporates the ability to save either temporarily,or permanent13 any interesting view that is found. The operator can return to these views at any later time or reproduce them on a hard copy device. *Supported by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission under Contract AT(043)515 **Prepared in part in connection with research at Princeton University supported by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.