?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4900%2F&rft.title=Nonparametric+Two-Group+Classification%3A+Concepts+and+a+SAS-Based+Software+Package&rft.creator=Duarte+Silva%2C+A.P.&rft.creator=Stam%2C+A.&rft.description=In+this+paper%2C+we+introduce+BestClass%2C+a+set+of+SAS+macros%2C+available+in+the+mainframe+and+workstation+environment%2C+designed+for+solving+two-group+classification+problems+using+a+class+of+recently+developed+nonparametric+classification+methods.+The+criteria+used+to+estimate+the+classification+function+are+based+on+either+minimizing+a+function+of+the+absolute+deviations+from+the+surface+which+separates+the+groups%2C+or+directly+minimizing+a+function+of+the+number+of+misclassified+entities+in+the+training+sample.+The+solution+techniques+used+by+BestClass+to+estimate+the+classification+rule+utilize+the+mathematical+programming+routines+of+the+SAS%2FOR%40+software.+%0D%0A%0D%0ARecently%2C+a+number+of+research+studies+have+reported+that+under+certain+data+conditions+this+class+of+classification+methods+can+provide+more+accurate+classification+results+than+existing+methods%2C+such+as+Fisher's+linear+discriminant+function+and+logistic+regression.+However%2C+these+robust+classification+methods+have+not+yet+been+implemented+in+the+major+statistical+packages%2C+and+hence+are+beyond+the+reach+of+those+statistical+analysts+who+are+unfamiliar+with+mathematical+programming+techniques.+%0D%0A%0D%0AWe+use+a+limited+simulation+experiment+and+an+example+to+compare+and+contrast+properties+of+the+methods+included+in+BestClass+with+existing+parametric+and+nonparametric+methods.+We+believe+that+BestClass+contributes+significantly+to+the+field+of+nonparametric+classification+analysis%2C+in+that+it+provides+the+statistical+community+with+convenient+access+to+this+recently+developed+class+of+methods.+BestClass+is+available+from+the+authors.&rft.publisher=WP-96-127&rft.date=1996-12&rft.type=Monograph&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4900%2F1%2FWP-96-127.pdf&rft.identifier=++Duarte+Silva%2C+A.P.+%26+Stam%2C+A.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F1588.html%3E++(1996).++Nonparametric+Two-Group+Classification%3A+Concepts+and+a+SAS-Based+Software+Package.+++IIASA+Working+Paper.+IIASA%2C+Laxenburg%2C+Austria%3A+WP-96-127+++++