Pyramidal clustering method generalizes hierarchies by allowing non-disjoint classes at a given level instead of a partition. Moreover, the clusters of the pyramid are intervals of a total order on the set being clustered. [Diday 1984], [Bertrand, Diday 1990] and [Mfoumoune 1998] proposed algorithms to build a pyramid starting with an arbitrary order of the individual. In this paper we present two new algorithms name {\tt CAPS} and {\tt CAPSO}. {\tt CAPSO} builds a pyramid starting with an order given on the set of the individuals (or symbolic objects) while {\tt CAPS} finds this order. These two algorithms allows moreover to cluster more complex data than the tabular model allows to process, by considering variation on the values taken by the variables, in this way, our method produces a symbolic pyramid. Each cluster thus formed is defined not only by the set of its elements (i.e. its extent) but also by a symbolic object, which describes its properties (i.e. its intent). These two algorithms were implemented in C++ and Java to the ISO-3D project.

翻译：金字塔聚类方法通过允许同一层级存在非不相交类（而非划分）来推广层次结构。此外，金字塔的簇是被聚类集合上全序关系的区间。[Diday 1984]、[Bertrand, Diday 1990]和[Mfoumoune 1998]提出了从个体的任意顺序构建金字塔的算法。本文提出了两种新算法，命名为{\tt CAPS}和{\tt CAPSO}。{\tt CAPSO}从个体（或符号对象）的给定顺序构建金字塔，而{\tt CAPS}则自主发现该顺序。这两种算法通过考虑变量取值的变异性，能够对表格模型难以处理的更复杂数据进行聚类，从而生成符号金字塔。每个形成的簇不仅由其元素集（即外延）定义，还通过描述其属性的符号对象（即内涵）定义。这两种算法已在ISO-3D项目中用C++和Java实现。