de.lmu.ifi.dbs.elki.distance
Interface Distance<D extends Distance<D>>

Type Parameters:

D - the type of Distance used

All Superinterfaces:

Comparable<D>, Externalizable, Serializable

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractDistance, BitDistance, CorrelationDistance, DoubleDistance, FloatDistance, IntegerDistance, NumberDistance, PCACorrelationDistance, PreferenceVectorBasedCorrelationDistance, SubspaceDistance

public interface Distance<D extends Distance<D>>
extends Comparable<D>, Externalizable

The interface Distance defines the requirements of any instance class. See DistanceUtil for related utility functions such as min, max.

Author:

Arthur Zimek

See Also:

DistanceUtil

Method Summary

int	externalizableSize() Returns the number of Bytes this distance uses if it is written to an external file.
D	infiniteDistance() Provides an infinite distance.
boolean	isInfiniteDistance() Returns true, if the distance is an infinite distance, false otherwise.
boolean	isNullDistance() Returns true, if the distance is a null distance, false otherwise.
boolean	isUndefinedDistance() Returns true, if the distance is an undefined distance, false otherwise.
D	minus(D distance) Returns a new Distance by subtracting the given distance from this distance.
D	nullDistance() Provides a null distance.
D	parseString(String pattern) Provides a measurement suitable to this measurement function based on the given pattern.
D	plus(D distance) Returns a new distance as sum of this distance and the given distance.
String	requiredInputPattern() Returns a String as description of the required input format.
String	toString() Any implementing class should implement a proper toString-method for printing the result-values.
D	undefinedDistance() Provides an undefined distance.

Methods inherited from interface java.lang.Comparable

compareTo

Methods inherited from interface java.io.Externalizable

readExternal, writeExternal

Method Detail

plus

D plus(D distance)

Returns a new distance as sum of this distance and the given distance.

Parameters:

distance - the distance to be added to this distance

Returns:

a new distance as sum of this distance and the given distance

minus

D minus(D distance)

Returns a new Distance by subtracting the given distance from this distance.

Parameters:

distance - the distance to be subtracted from this distance

Returns:

a new Distance by subtracting the given distance from this distance

toString

String toString()

Any implementing class should implement a proper toString-method for printing the result-values.

Overrides:

toString in class Object

Returns:

String a human-readable representation of the Distance

parseString

D parseString(String pattern)
                                  throws IllegalArgumentException

Provides a measurement suitable to this measurement function based on the given pattern.

Parameters:

pattern - a pattern defining a similarity suitable to this measurement function

Returns:

a measurement suitable to this measurement function based on the given pattern

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if the given pattern is not compatible with the requirements of this measurement function

requiredInputPattern

String requiredInputPattern()

Returns a String as description of the required input format.

Returns:

a String as description of the required input format

externalizableSize

int externalizableSize()

Returns the number of Bytes this distance uses if it is written to an external file.

Returns:

the number of Bytes this distance uses if it is written to an external file

infiniteDistance

D infiniteDistance()

Provides an infinite distance.

Returns:

an infinite distance

nullDistance

D nullDistance()

Provides a null distance.

Returns:

a null distance

undefinedDistance

D undefinedDistance()

Provides an undefined distance.

Returns:

an undefined distance

isInfiniteDistance

boolean isInfiniteDistance()

Returns true, if the distance is an infinite distance, false otherwise.

Returns:

true, if the distance is an infinite distance, false otherwise

isNullDistance

boolean isNullDistance()

Returns true, if the distance is a null distance, false otherwise.

Returns:

true, if the distance is a null distance, false otherwise

isUndefinedDistance

boolean isUndefinedDistance()

Returns true, if the distance is an undefined distance, false otherwise.

Returns:

true, if the distance is an undefined distance, false otherwise