Star Plots

 

The star plot is a method of displaying multivariate data. Each star represents a single observation. Typically, star plots are generated in a multi-plot format with many stars on each page and each star representing one observation. Star plots are used to examine the relative values for a single data point and to locate similar points on not similar points. The above star plot is from NASA, with some of the most desirable design results represented in the center. Also a legend with different designs represented by different colors to be easier to distinguish.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_chart

 

 

A similarity matrix is a matrix of scores which express the similarity between two data points. The map above shows all the body mass index numbers you can have. Each score is put into a weight category and your scores are put into a nationally recognized standard and graded from that. The colors make it easy to distinguish which category you fall into based on the number you get.

 

 

http://www.lonestarbands.com/bmi.asp

 

 

 

Stem and Leaf plot

 

A stem and leaf plot is a device for presenting quantitative data in a graphical format, similar to a histogram, to assist in visualizing the shape of a distribution. As the map above shows, the stem is the first part of the number and the leaf is the second part of the number. Combining these numbers give us the quiz scores that were graded and we see a nice distribution of those numbers here.

 

 

http://www.mytestbook.com/worksheet.aspx?topics=Stem%20Leaf%20Chart&subject=Math&grade=5&test_id=235

 

Box Plot

 

A box plot is a way of summarizing a set of data measured on an interval scale. It is often used in exploratory data analysis. It is a type of graph which is used to show the shape of the distribution, its central value, and variability. Box and whisker plots are uniform in their use of the box: the bottom and top of the box are always the first and third quartiles, and the band inside the box is always the second quartile. This map above shows a box plot testing the speed of light with 5 experiments.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_plot

 

Histogram

 

A histogram is a bar graph of a frequency distribution in which the widths of the bars are proportional to the classes into which the variable has been divided and the heights of the bars are proportional to the class frequencies. These maps are similar to bar graphs but the x axis is numbers on these maps and also the bars are all connected. This histogram above shows what score each student got on final exam and how many students it was who got each score.

 

 

http://www.webquest.hawaii.edu/kahihi/mathdictionary/H/histogram.php

 

Parallel Coordinate Graph



 

Parallel coordinate graphs use a set of parallel axes. Parallel coordinates is a visualization technique used to plot individual data elements across many dimensions. Each of the dimensions corresponds to a vertical axis and each data element is displayed as a series of connected points along the dimensions/axes. The graph above shows a 3d parallel coordinate view of all cells and nine selected genes.

 

 

http://vis.lbl.gov/Events/SC07/Drosophila/

Triangular Plot

 

The triangular plot graphically depicts the ratios of the three variables as positions in an equilateral triangle. It is mostly used in geologic studies like in the map above. The proportions of these three variables must sum up to a constant for this to be able to be represented accurately. The variables of sand and clay are composed in the data with silt as the third percentage. Changing the variables on each side of the triangle would change the results of each figure.

 

 

http://www.dplot.com/triangle-plot.htm