sequenzo 0.1.24__cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl

sequenzo/clustering/hierarchical_clustering.py

@@ -0,0 +1,1256 @@
+"""
+@Author  : Yuqi Liang 梁彧祺
+@File    : hierarchical_clustering.py
+@Time    : 18/12/2024 17:59
+@Desc    :
+    This module provides a flexible and user-friendly implementation of hierarchical clustering,
+    along with tools to evaluate cluster quality and analyze clustering results.
+
+    It supports common hierarchical clustering methods and evaluation metrics,
+    designed for social sequence analysis and other research applications.
+
+    This module leverages fastcluster, a tool specifically designed to enhance the efficiency of large-scale hierarchical clustering.
+    Unlike native Python tools such as SciPy, fastcluster optimizes linkage matrix computations,
+    enabling it to handle datasets with millions of entries more efficiently.
+
+    It has three main components:
+    1. Cluster Class: Performs hierarchical clustering on a precomputed distance matrix.
+    2. ClusterQuality Class: Evaluates the quality of clustering for different numbers of clusters using various metrics.
+    3. ClusterResults Class: Analyzes and visualizes the clustering results (e.g., membership tables and cluster distributions).
+
+    WEIGHTED CLUSTERING SUPPORT:
+    All classes now support weighted data analysis:
+    - Cluster: Hierarchical linkage is computed on the given distance matrix (unweighted). Optional weights are applied to evaluation and summaries
+    - ClusterQuality: Computes weighted versions of quality metrics (ASWw, HG, R2, HC)
+    - ClusterResults: Provides weighted cluster distribution statistics and visualizations
+
+    Weighted metrics account for sequence importance when calculating clustering quality,
+    making the analysis more representative when sequences have different sampling weights
+    or population sizes.
+
+    WARD METHOD VARIANTS:
+    The module supports two Ward linkage variants:
+    - 'ward_d' (Ward D): Classic Ward method using squared Euclidean distances ÷ 2
+    - 'ward_d2' (Ward D2): Ward method using squared Euclidean distances
+    For backward compatibility, 'ward' maps to 'ward_d'.
+    
+    The difference affects clustering results and dendrogram heights:
+    - Ward D produces smaller distances in the linkage matrix
+    - Ward D2 produces distances equal to the increase in cluster variance
+    - Both methods produce identical cluster assignments, only distances differ
+
+    ROBUSTNESS AND VALIDATION FEATURES:
+    - Ward Method Validation: Automatic detection of non-Euclidean distance matrices
+    - One-time Warning System: Alerts users when Ward methods are used with potentially incompatible distances
+    - Robust Matrix Cleanup: Handles NaN/Inf values using 95th percentile replacement
+    - Distance Matrix Validation: Ensures zero diagonal and non-negativity
+    - Symmetry Handling: Automatically symmetrizes matrices when required by clustering algorithms
+    - Method Recommendations: Suggests alternative methods for sequence distances
+
+    For sequence distances (OM, LCS, etc.), Ward linkage methods may produce suboptimal results.
+    Consider using alternative methods like 'average' (UPGMA) for better theoretical validity.
+
+    Original code references:
+        Cluster(): Derived from `hclust`, a key function from fastcluster
+            R code: https://github.com/cran/fastcluster/blob/master/R/fastcluster.R
+            Python code: https://github.com/fastcluster/fastcluster/blob/master/src/fastcluster.cpp
+            The Python version of facluster does not support Ward D method but only Ward D2, whereas R supports both.
+            Thus, we provide Ward D by ourselves here. 
+
+        ClusterQuality(): Derived from ``, a key function from weightedcluster
+            CQI equivalence of R is here (two files):
+                https://github.com/cran/WeightedCluster/blob/master/src/clusterquality.cpp
+                https://github.com/cran/WeightedCluster/blob/master/src/clusterqualitybody.cpp
+            plot_cqi_scores(): `wcCmpCluster()` produces `clustrangefamily` object + `plot.clustrangefamily()` for plotting
+"""
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+import seaborn as sns
+import warnings
+from matplotlib.ticker import MaxNLocator
+
+import pandas as pd
+import numpy as np
+from scipy.cluster.hierarchy import fcluster, dendrogram
+from scipy.spatial.distance import squareform
+# sklearn metrics no longer needed - using C++ implementation
+# Import from sequenzo_fastcluster (our custom fastcluster with ward_d and ward_d2 support)
+try:
+    from sequenzo.clustering.sequenzo_fastcluster.fastcluster import linkage
+except ImportError:
+    # Fallback: try absolute import
+    try:
+        from sequenzo_fastcluster.fastcluster import linkage
+    except ImportError:
+        # Last resort: try relative import
+        from .sequenzo_fastcluster.fastcluster import linkage
+
+# Import C++ cluster quality functions
+try:
+    from . import clustering_c_code
+    _CPP_AVAILABLE = True
+except ImportError:
+    _CPP_AVAILABLE = False
+    print("[!] Warning: C++ cluster quality functions not available. Using Python fallback.")
+
+
+# Corrected imports: Use relative imports *within* the package.
+from sequenzo.visualization.utils import save_and_show_results
+
+# Global flag to ensure Ward warning is only shown once per session
+_WARD_WARNING_SHOWN = False
+
+def _check_euclidean_compatibility(matrix, method):
+    """
+    Check if a distance matrix is likely compatible with Euclidean-based methods like Ward.
+    
+    This performs heuristic checks rather than exact validation since perfect validation
+    would be computationally expensive for large matrices.
+    
+    Parameters:
+    -----------
+    matrix : np.ndarray
+        Distance matrix to check
+    method : str
+        Clustering method name
+        
+    Returns:
+    --------
+    bool
+        True if matrix appears Euclidean-compatible, False otherwise
+    """
+    # Check for Ward methods (both Ward D and Ward D2 require Euclidean distances)
+    if method.lower() not in ["ward", "ward_d", "ward_d2"]:
+        return True  # Other methods don't require Euclidean distances
+    
+    # Basic checks for Euclidean properties
+    n = matrix.shape[0]
+    
+    # Check 1: Triangle inequality violations (sample a subset for large matrices)
+    sample_size = min(50, n)  # Sample up to 50 points for efficiency
+    if n > sample_size:
+        indices = np.random.choice(n, sample_size, replace=False)
+        sample_matrix = matrix[np.ix_(indices, indices)]
+    else:
+        sample_matrix = matrix
+        indices = np.arange(n)
+    
+    sample_n = sample_matrix.shape[0]
+    violations = 0
+    total_checks = 0
+    
+    # Check triangle inequality: d(i,k) <= d(i,j) + d(j,k)
+    for i in range(sample_n):
+        for j in range(i + 1, sample_n):
+            for k in range(j + 1, sample_n):
+                dij = sample_matrix[i, j]
+                dik = sample_matrix[i, k]
+                djk = sample_matrix[j, k]
+                
+                # Check all three triangle inequalities
+                if (dik > dij + djk + 1e-10 or 
+                    dij > dik + djk + 1e-10 or 
+                    djk > dij + dik + 1e-10):
+                    violations += 1
+                total_checks += 1
+    
+    if total_checks > 0:
+        violation_rate = violations / total_checks
+        if violation_rate > 0.1:  # More than 10% violations suggests non-Euclidean
+            return False
+    
+    # Check 2: Negative eigenvalues in distance matrix (indicates non-Euclidean)
+    # Use double centering to convert distances to inner products
+    try:
+        # For efficiency, only check this for smaller matrices
+        if sample_n <= 100:
+            H = np.eye(sample_n) - np.ones((sample_n, sample_n)) / sample_n
+            B = -0.5 * H @ (sample_matrix ** 2) @ H
+            eigenvals = np.linalg.eigvals(B)
+            
+            # Check if there are significant negative eigenvalues
+            negative_eigenvals = eigenvals[eigenvals < -1e-10]
+            if len(negative_eigenvals) > 0:
+                neg_energy = -np.sum(negative_eigenvals)
+                total_energy = np.sum(np.abs(eigenvals))
+                if neg_energy / total_energy > 0.1:  # > 10% negative energy
+                    return False
+    except np.linalg.LinAlgError:
+        # If eigenvalue computation fails, assume potentially problematic
+        pass
+    
+    return True
+
+
+def _warn_ward_usage_once(matrix, method):
+    """
+    Issue a one-time warning about using Ward with potentially non-Euclidean distances.
+    """
+    global _WARD_WARNING_SHOWN
+    
+    # Check for both Ward D and Ward D2 methods
+    if not _WARD_WARNING_SHOWN and method.lower() in ["ward", "ward_d", "ward_d2"]:
+        if not _check_euclidean_compatibility(matrix, method):
+            warnings.warn(
+                "\n[!] Ward linkage method detected with potentially non-Euclidean distance matrix!\n"
+                "   Ward clustering (both Ward D and Ward D2) assumes Euclidean distances for theoretical validity.\n"
+                "   \n"
+                "   Ward method variants:\n"
+                "   - 'ward_d' (classic): Uses squared Euclidean distances ÷ 2\n"
+                "   - 'ward_d2': Uses squared Euclidean distances\n"
+                "   \n"
+                "   For sequence distances (OM, LCS, etc.), consider using:\n"
+                "   - method='average' (UPGMA)\n"
+                "   - method='complete' (complete linkage)\n"
+                "   - method='single' (single linkage)\n"
+                "   \n"
+                "   Note: 'centroid' and 'median' methods may also produce inversions\n"
+                "   (non-monotonic dendrograms) with non-Euclidean distances.\n"
+                "   \n"
+                "   This warning is shown only once per session.",
+                UserWarning,
+                stacklevel=3
+            )
+        _WARD_WARNING_SHOWN = True
+
+
+def _clean_distance_matrix(matrix):
+    """
+    Clean and validate a distance matrix for hierarchical clustering.
+    
+    This function:
+    1. Handles NaN/Inf values using robust percentile-based replacement
+    2. Sets diagonal to zero
+    3. Ensures non-negativity
+    
+    Note: Symmetry is NOT enforced at this stage since distance matrices may legitimately 
+    be asymmetric (e.g., directed sequence distances, time-dependent measures, etc.).
+    However, symmetrization will be performed later in linkage computation when required 
+    by clustering algorithms.
+    
+    Parameters:
+    -----------
+    matrix : np.ndarray
+        Input distance matrix
+        
+    Returns:
+    --------
+    np.ndarray
+        Cleaned distance matrix
+    """
+    matrix = matrix.copy()  # Don't modify the original
+    
+    # Step 1: Handle NaN/Inf values with percentile-based replacement
+    if np.any(np.isnan(matrix)) or np.any(np.isinf(matrix)):
+        print("[!] Warning: Distance matrix contains NaN or Inf values.")
+        
+        # Get finite values for percentile calculation
+        finite_vals = matrix[np.isfinite(matrix)]
+        
+        if len(finite_vals) > 0:
+            # Use 95th percentile as replacement value (more conservative than max)
+            replacement_val = np.percentile(finite_vals, 95)
+            print(f"    Replacing with 95th percentile value: {replacement_val:.6f}")
+        else:
+            # If no finite values, use 1.0 as default
+            replacement_val = 1.0
+            print(f"    No finite values found, using default: {replacement_val}")
+        
+        matrix[~np.isfinite(matrix)] = replacement_val
+    
+    # Step 2: Force diagonal to be exactly zero (self-distance should be zero)
+    np.fill_diagonal(matrix, 0.0)
+    
+    # Step 3: Ensure non-negativity (distance matrices should be non-negative)
+    if np.any(matrix < 0):
+        print("[!] Warning: Distance matrix contains negative values. Clipping to zero...")
+        matrix = np.maximum(matrix, 0.0)
+    
+    return matrix
+
+
+def _hclust_to_linkage_matrix(linkage_matrix):
+    """
+    Convert an R `hclust` object to a SciPy-compatible linkage matrix.
+
+    This function takes an `hclust` object returned by R (e.g., from
+    `fastcluster::hclust`) and converts it into the standard linkage matrix
+    format used by SciPy (`scipy.cluster.hierarchy.linkage`), which can be
+    used for dendrogram plotting or further clustering analysis in Python.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    linkage_matrix : rpy2.robjects.ListVector
+        An R `hclust` object. Expected to contain at least the following fields:
+        - 'merge': ndarray of shape (n-1, 2), indicating which clusters are merged
+                   at each step (negative indices for original observations,
+                   positive indices for previously merged clusters).
+        - 'height': ndarray of shape (n-1,), distances at which merges occur.
+        - 'order': ordering of the leaves.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Z : numpy.ndarray, shape (n-1, 4), dtype=float
+        A SciPy-compatible linkage matrix where each row represents a merge:
+        - Z[i, 0] : index of the first cluster (0-based)
+        - Z[i, 1] : index of the second cluster (0-based)
+        - Z[i, 2] : distance between the merged clusters
+        - Z[i, 3] : total number of original samples in the newly formed cluster
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    - The conversion handles the difference in indexing:
+        - In R's `hclust`, negative numbers in 'merge' indicate original samples
+          and positive numbers indicate previously merged clusters (1-based).
+        - In the returned SciPy linkage matrix, all indices are converted to 0-based.
+    - The function iteratively tracks cluster sizes to populate the fourth column
+      (sample counts) required by SciPy.
+    """
+
+    n = len(linkage_matrix.rx2("order"))  # 样本数
+    merge = np.array(linkage_matrix.rx2("merge"), dtype=int)  # (n-1, 2)
+    height = np.array(linkage_matrix.rx2("height"), dtype=float)
+
+    cluster_sizes = np.ones(n, dtype=int)  # 单个样本初始大小 = 1
+    Z = np.zeros((n - 1, 4), dtype=float)
+
+    for i in range(n - 1):
+        a, b = merge[i]
+
+        # R hclust 编号负数表示原始样本
+        if a < 0:
+            idx1 = -a - 1  # 转成 0-based
+            size1 = 1
+        else:
+            idx1 = n + a - 1  # 已合并簇，0-based
+            size1 = cluster_sizes[idx1]
+
+        if b < 0:
+            idx2 = -b - 1
+            size2 = 1
+        else:
+            idx2 = n + b - 1
+            size2 = cluster_sizes[idx2]
+
+        Z[i, 0] = idx1
+        Z[i, 1] = idx2
+        Z[i, 2] = height[i]
+        Z[i, 3] = size1 + size2
+
+        # 更新 cluster_sizes，用于后续簇
+        cluster_sizes = np.append(cluster_sizes, size1 + size2)
+
+    return Z
+
+class Cluster:
+    def __init__(self,
+                 matrix,
+                 entity_ids,
+                 clustering_method="ward",
+                 weights=None):
+        """
+        A class to handle hierarchical clustering operations using fastcluster for improved performance.
+
+        :param matrix: Precomputed distance matrix (full square form).
+        :param entity_ids: List of IDs corresponding to the entities in the matrix.
+        :param clustering_method: Clustering algorithm to use. Options include:
+            - "ward" or "ward_d": Classic Ward method (squared Euclidean distances ÷ 2) [default]
+            - "ward_d2": Ward method with squared Euclidean distances
+            - "single": Single linkage (minimum method)
+            - "complete": Complete linkage (maximum method)
+            - "average": Average linkage (UPGMA)
+            - "centroid": Centroid linkage
+            - "median": Median linkage
+        :param weights: Optional array of weights for each entity (default: None for equal weights).
+        """
+        # Ensure entity_ids is a numpy array for consistent processing
+        self.entity_ids = np.array(entity_ids)
+
+        # Check if entity_ids is valid
+        if len(self.entity_ids) != len(matrix):
+            raise ValueError("Length of entity_ids must match the size of the matrix.")
+
+        # Optional: Check uniqueness of entity_ids
+        if len(np.unique(self.entity_ids)) != len(self.entity_ids):
+            raise ValueError("entity_ids must contain unique values.")
+
+        # Initialize and validate weights
+        if weights is not None:
+            self.weights = np.array(weights, dtype=np.float64)
+            if len(self.weights) != len(matrix):
+                raise ValueError("Length of weights must match the size of the matrix.")
+            if np.any(self.weights < 0):
+                raise ValueError("All weights must be non-negative.")
+            if np.sum(self.weights) == 0:
+                raise ValueError("Sum of weights must be greater than zero.")
+        else:
+            # Default to equal weights (all ones)
+            self.weights = np.ones(len(matrix), dtype=np.float64)
+
+        # Convert matrix to numpy array if it's a DataFrame
+        if isinstance(matrix, pd.DataFrame):
+            print("[>] Converting DataFrame to NumPy array...")
+            self.full_matrix = matrix.values
+        else:
+            self.full_matrix = matrix
+
+        # Verify matrix is in square form
+        if len(self.full_matrix.shape) != 2 or self.full_matrix.shape[0] != self.full_matrix.shape[1]:
+            raise ValueError("Input must be a full square-form distance matrix.")
+
+        self.clustering_method = clustering_method.lower()
+
+        # Supported clustering methods
+        supported_methods = ["ward", "ward_d", "ward_d2", "single", "complete", "average", "centroid", "median"]
+        if self.clustering_method not in supported_methods:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Unsupported clustering method '{clustering_method}'. Supported methods: {supported_methods}")
+        
+        # Handle backward compatibility: 'ward' maps to 'ward_d' (classic Ward method)
+        if self.clustering_method == "ward":
+            self.clustering_method = "ward_d"
+            print("[>] Note: 'ward' method maps to 'ward_d' (classic Ward method).")
+            print("    Use 'ward_d2' for Ward method with squared Euclidean distances.")
+
+        # Compute linkage matrix using fastcluster
+        self.linkage_matrix = self._compute_linkage()
+
+    def _compute_linkage(self):
+        """
+        Compute the linkage matrix using fastcluster for improved performance.
+        Supports both Ward D (classic) and Ward D2 methods.
+        """
+        # Clean and validate the distance matrix using robust methods
+        self.full_matrix = _clean_distance_matrix(self.full_matrix)
+        
+        # Check Ward compatibility and issue one-time warning if needed
+        _warn_ward_usage_once(self.full_matrix, self.clustering_method)
+
+        # Check symmetry before converting to condensed form
+        # squareform() requires symmetric matrices
+        if not np.allclose(self.full_matrix, self.full_matrix.T, rtol=1e-5, atol=1e-8):
+            print("[!] Warning: Distance matrix is not symmetric.")
+            print("    Hierarchical clustering algorithms require symmetric distance matrices.")
+            print("    Automatically symmetrizing using (matrix + matrix.T) / 2")
+            print("    If this is not appropriate for your data, please provide a symmetric matrix.")
+            self.full_matrix = (self.full_matrix + self.full_matrix.T) / 2
+
+        # Convert square matrix to condensed form
+        self.condensed_matrix = squareform(self.full_matrix)
+
+        # Map our method names to fastcluster's expected method names
+        fastcluster_method = self._map_method_name(self.clustering_method)
+
+        linkage_matrix = linkage(self.condensed_matrix, method=fastcluster_method)
+
+        return linkage_matrix
+
+    def _map_method_name(self, method):
+        """
+        Map our internal method names to fastcluster's expected method names.
+        """
+        method_mapping = {
+            "ward_d": "ward",    # Classic Ward (will be corrected later) (updated: it was solved on Nov.15, 2025 by Xinyi)
+            "ward_d2": "ward_d2",   # Ward D2 (no correction needed)
+            "single": "single",
+            "complete": "complete",
+            "average": "average",
+            "centroid": "centroid",
+            "median": "median"
+        }
+        return method_mapping.get(method, method)
+    
+    def _apply_ward_d_correction(self, linkage_matrix):
+        """
+        Apply Ward D correction by dividing distances by 2.
+        This converts Ward D2 results to classic Ward D results.
+        """
+        linkage_corrected = linkage_matrix.copy()
+        linkage_corrected[:, 2] = linkage_corrected[:, 2] / 2.0
+        print("[>] Applied Ward D correction: distances divided by 2 for classic Ward method.")
+        return linkage_corrected
+
+    def plot_dendrogram(self,
+                        save_as=None,
+                        style="whitegrid",
+                        title="Dendrogram",
+                        xlabel="Entities",
+                        ylabel="Distance",
+                        grid=False,
+                        dpi=200,
+                        figsize=(12, 8)):
+        """
+        Plot a dendrogram of the hierarchical clustering with optional high-resolution output.
+
+        :param save_as: File path to save the plot. If None, the plot will be shown.
+        :param style: Seaborn style for the plot.
+        :param title: Title of the plot.
+        :param xlabel: X-axis label.
+        :param ylabel: Y-axis label.
+        :param grid: Whether to display grid lines.
+        :param dpi: Dots per inch for the saved image (default: 300 for high resolution).
+        :param figsize: Tuple specifying the figure size in inches (default: (12, 8)).
+        """
+        if self.linkage_matrix is None:
+            raise ValueError("Linkage matrix is not computed.")
+
+        sns.set(style=style)
+        plt.figure(figsize=figsize)
+        dendrogram(self.linkage_matrix, labels=None)  # Do not plot labels for large datasets
+        plt.xticks([])
+        plt.title(title, fontsize=14, fontweight="bold")
+        plt.xlabel(xlabel)
+        plt.ylabel(ylabel)
+        if not grid:
+            plt.grid(False)
+
+        save_and_show_results(save_as, dpi=200)
+
+    def get_cluster_labels(self, num_clusters):
+        """
+        Get cluster labels for a specified number of clusters.
+
+        There is a common point of confusion because
+        k is typically used to represent the number of clusters in clustering algorithms (e.g., k-means).
+
+        However, SciPy's hierarchical clustering API specifically uses t as the parameter name.
+
+        :param num_clusters: The number of clusters to create.
+        :return: Array of cluster labels corresponding to entity_ids.
+        """
+        if self.linkage_matrix is None:
+            raise ValueError("Linkage matrix is not computed.")
+
+        cluster_labels = fcluster(self.linkage_matrix, t=num_clusters, criterion="maxclust")
+
+        return cluster_labels
+
+
+class ClusterQuality:
+    def __init__(self, matrix_or_cluster, max_clusters=20, clustering_method=None, weights=None):
+        """
+        Initialize the ClusterQuality class for precomputed distance matrices or a Cluster instance.
+
+        Allow the ClusterQuality class to directly accept a Cluster instance
+        and internally extract the relevant matrix (cluster.full_matrix)
+        and clustering method (cluster.clustering_method).
+
+        This keeps the user interface clean and simple while handling the logic under the hood.
+
+        :param matrix_or_cluster: The precomputed distance matrix (full square form or condensed form)
+                                   or an instance of the Cluster class.
+        :param max_clusters: Maximum number of clusters to evaluate (default: 20).
+        :param clustering_method: Clustering algorithm to use. If None, inherit from Cluster instance.
+        :param weights: Optional array of weights for each entity. If None and using Cluster instance,
+                       weights will be extracted from the Cluster object.
+        """
+        if isinstance(matrix_or_cluster, Cluster):
+            # Extract matrix, clustering method, and weights from the Cluster instance
+            self.matrix = matrix_or_cluster.full_matrix
+            self.clustering_method = matrix_or_cluster.clustering_method
+            self.linkage_matrix = matrix_or_cluster.linkage_matrix
+            self.weights = matrix_or_cluster.weights
+
+        elif isinstance(matrix_or_cluster, (np.ndarray, pd.DataFrame)):
+            # Handle direct matrix input
+            if isinstance(matrix_or_cluster, pd.DataFrame):
+                print("[>] Detected Pandas DataFrame. Converting to NumPy array...")
+                matrix_or_cluster = matrix_or_cluster.values
+            self.matrix = matrix_or_cluster
+            self.clustering_method = clustering_method or "ward_d"  # Default to classic Ward
+            
+            # Initialize weights for direct matrix input
+            if weights is not None:
+                self.weights = np.array(weights, dtype=np.float64)
+                if len(self.weights) != len(self.matrix):
+                    raise ValueError("Length of weights must match the size of the matrix.")
+            else:
+                self.weights = np.ones(len(self.matrix), dtype=np.float64)
+            
+            # Compute linkage matrix for direct input (needed for clustering operations)
+            self.linkage_matrix = self._compute_linkage_for_direct_input()
+
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Input must be a Cluster instance, a NumPy array, or a Pandas DataFrame."
+            )
+
+        if self.matrix.shape[0] != self.matrix.shape[1]:
+            raise ValueError("Matrix must be a full square-form distance matrix.")
+
+        self.max_clusters = max_clusters
+        self.metric_order = [
+            "PBC",
+            "HG",
+            "HGSD",
+            "ASW",
+            "ASWw",
+            "CH",
+            "R2",
+            "CHsq",
+            "R2sq",
+            "HC",
+        ]
+        self.scores = {metric: [] for metric in self.metric_order}
+
+        # Store original scores separately to preserve raw values
+        self.original_scores = None
+
+    def _compute_linkage_for_direct_input(self):
+        """
+        Compute linkage matrix for direct matrix input (similar to Cluster class logic).
+        Supports both Ward D and Ward D2 methods.
+        """
+        # Handle backward compatibility: 'ward' maps to 'ward_d'
+        if self.clustering_method == "ward":
+            self.clustering_method = "ward_d"
+            print("[>] Note: 'ward' method maps to 'ward_d' (classic Ward method).")
+            print("    Use 'ward_d2' for Ward method with squared Euclidean distances.")
+            
+        # Clean and validate the distance matrix using robust methods
+        self.matrix = _clean_distance_matrix(self.matrix)
+        
+        # Check Ward compatibility and issue one-time warning if needed
+        _warn_ward_usage_once(self.matrix, self.clustering_method)
+
+        # Check symmetry before converting to condensed form
+        # squareform() requires symmetric matrices
+        if not np.allclose(self.matrix, self.matrix.T, rtol=1e-5, atol=1e-8):
+            print("[!] Warning: Distance matrix is not symmetric.")
+            print("    Hierarchical clustering algorithms require symmetric distance matrices.")
+            print("    Automatically symmetrizing using (matrix + matrix.T) / 2")
+            print("    If this is not appropriate for your data, please provide a symmetric matrix.")
+            self.matrix = (self.matrix + self.matrix.T) / 2
+
+        # Convert square matrix to condensed form for linkage computation
+        condensed_matrix = squareform(self.matrix)
+
+        try:
+            # Map our method names to fastcluster's expected method names
+            fastcluster_method = self._map_method_name(self.clustering_method)
+            linkage_matrix = linkage(condensed_matrix, method=fastcluster_method)
+            
+            # Apply Ward D correction if needed
+            if self.clustering_method == "ward_d":
+                linkage_matrix = self._apply_ward_d_correction(linkage_matrix)
+                
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Failed to compute linkage with method '{self.clustering_method}'. "
+                "Check that the distance matrix is square, symmetric, finite, non-negative, and has a zero diagonal. "
+                "For sequence distances, consider using 'average', 'complete', or 'single' instead of Ward methods. "
+                f"Original error: {e}"
+            )
+        return linkage_matrix
+        
+    def _map_method_name(self, method):
+        """
+        Map our internal method names to fastcluster's expected method names.
+        """
+        method_mapping = {
+            "ward_d": "ward",    # Classic Ward (will be corrected later)
+            "ward_d2": "ward",   # Ward D2 (no correction needed)
+            "single": "single",
+            "complete": "complete",
+            "average": "average",
+            "centroid": "centroid",
+            "median": "median"
+        }
+        return method_mapping.get(method, method)
+    
+    def _apply_ward_d_correction(self, linkage_matrix):
+        """
+        Apply Ward D correction by dividing distances by 2.
+        This converts Ward D2 results to classic Ward D results.
+        """
+        linkage_corrected = linkage_matrix.copy()
+        linkage_corrected[:, 2] = linkage_corrected[:, 2] / 2.0
+        print("[>] Applied Ward D correction: distances divided by 2 for classic Ward method.")
+        return linkage_corrected
+
+    def compute_cluster_quality_scores(self):
+        """
+        Compute clustering quality scores for different numbers of clusters.
+        
+        Uses C++ implementation for accuracy and performance.
+        This implementation aligns with R WeightedCluster package results.
+        """
+        if not _CPP_AVAILABLE:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "C++ cluster quality implementation is not available. "
+                "Please ensure the C++ extensions are properly compiled."
+            )
+        self._compute_cluster_quality_scores_cpp()
+        
+        # Save original scores immediately after computation
+        self.original_scores = {}
+        for metric, values in self.scores.items():
+            self.original_scores[metric] = np.array(values).copy()
+
+    def _compute_cluster_quality_scores_cpp(self):
+        """
+        Compute clustering quality scores using C++ implementation (matches R WeightedCluster).
+        """
+        # Convert matrix to format expected by C++
+        # Ensure we have a full square matrix
+        if self.matrix.shape[0] != self.matrix.shape[1]:
+            raise ValueError("Matrix must be square for C++ implementation")
+        
+        # Convert to condensed once to reduce per-call overhead in C++
+        condensed = squareform(self.matrix)
+
+        for k in range(2, self.max_clusters + 1):
+            # Get cluster labels (fcluster returns 1-based labels, which C++ expects)
+            labels = fcluster(self.linkage_matrix, k, criterion="maxclust")
+            
+            try:
+                # Call C++ function (condensed) - expects 1-based labels
+                result = clustering_c_code.cluster_quality_condensed(
+                    condensed.astype(np.float64, copy=False),
+                    labels.astype(np.int32, copy=False),
+                    self.weights.astype(np.float64, copy=False),
+                    self.matrix.shape[0],
+                    k
+                )
+                
+                # Extract results from C++ (mapping to match R WeightedCluster exactly)
+                for metric in self.metric_order:
+                    self.scores[metric].append(result.get(metric, np.nan))
+                
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"[!] Error: C++ computation failed for k={k}: {e}")
+                print("    Python fallback has been removed due to accuracy issues.")
+                # Insert NaN values for failed computation
+                for metric in self.metric_order:
+                    self.scores[metric].append(np.nan)
+                raise RuntimeError(f"C++ cluster quality computation failed for k={k}. "
+                                   "Python fallback is not available.")
+
+    def _compute_cluster_quality_scores_python(self):
+        """
+        Python fallback implementation has been removed.
+        Only C++ implementation is available for accuracy and performance.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "Python cluster quality implementation has been removed due to accuracy issues. "
+            "Please use C++ implementation by setting use_cpp=True (default)."
+        )
+
+    def _normalize_scores(self, method="zscore") -> None:
+        """
+        Normalize each metric independently.
+
+        :param method: Normalization method. Options are "zscore" or "range".
+        """
+        for metric in self.scores:
+            values = np.array(self.scores[metric])
+            if method == "zscore":
+                mean_val = np.nanmean(values)
+                std_val = np.nanstd(values)
+                if std_val > 0:
+                    self.scores[metric] = (values - mean_val) / std_val
+            elif method == "range":
+                min_val = np.nanmin(values)
+                max_val = np.nanmax(values)
+                if max_val > min_val:
+                    self.scores[metric] = (values - min_val) / (max_val - min_val)
+
+    def get_cluster_range_table(self) -> pd.DataFrame:
+        """
+        Return a metrics-by-cluster table mirroring R's `as.clustrange()` output.
+
+        :return: DataFrame indexed by cluster count ("cluster2", ...)
+                 with raw metric values for each quality indicator.
+        """
+        # Prefer preserved raw scores to avoid normalization side-effects
+        if self.original_scores is not None:
+            scores_to_use = self.original_scores
+        else:
+            scores_to_use = self.scores
+
+        # Ensure metrics are available
+        if not scores_to_use or not any(len(scores_to_use[m]) for m in self.metric_order):
+            raise ValueError("Cluster quality scores are empty. Run `compute_cluster_quality_scores()` first.")
+
+        # Determine number of evaluated cluster counts
+        lengths = [len(scores_to_use[metric]) for metric in self.metric_order if metric in scores_to_use]
+        if not lengths:
+            raise ValueError("No recognized metrics found in scores.")
+
+        if len(set(lengths)) != 1:
+            raise ValueError("Inconsistent metric lengths detected. Please recompute cluster quality scores.")
+
+        n_rows = lengths[0]
+        if n_rows == 0:
+            raise ValueError("Cluster quality scores contain no entries.")
+
+        # Build DataFrame matching R output ordering
+        data = {}
+        for metric in self.metric_order:
+            values = scores_to_use.get(metric)
+            if values is None:
+                continue
+            data[metric] = np.array(values, dtype=np.float64)
+
+        index_labels = [f"cluster{k}" for k in range(2, 2 + n_rows)]
+        table = pd.DataFrame(data, index=index_labels)
+        table.index.name = "Cluster"
+
+        return table
+
+    def get_cqi_table(self):
+        """
+        Generate a summary table of clustering quality indicators with concise column names.
+
+        :return: Pandas DataFrame summarizing the optimal number of clusters (N groups),
+                 the corresponding raw metric values, and z-score normalized values.
+        """
+        # Use original scores if available, otherwise fall back to current scores
+        if self.original_scores is not None:
+            scores_to_use = self.original_scores
+        else:
+            scores_to_use = self.scores
+        
+        # Deep copy to avoid overwriting during normalization
+        original_scores = {}
+        for metric, values in scores_to_use.items():
+            original_scores[metric] = np.array(values).copy()
+
+        # Create temporary copy for z-score normalization
+        temp_scores = {}
+        for metric, values in original_scores.items():
+            temp_scores[metric] = values.copy()
+        
+        # Apply z-score normalization to temp copy
+        zscore_normalized = {}
+        for metric in temp_scores:
+            values = temp_scores[metric]
+            mean_val = np.nanmean(values)
+            std_val = np.nanstd(values)
+            if std_val > 0:
+                zscore_normalized[metric] = (values - mean_val) / std_val
+            else:
+                zscore_normalized[metric] = values.copy()
+
+        # Generate summary table (removed redundant Min-Max Norm column)
+        summary = {
+            "Metric": [],
+            "Opt. Clusters": [],  # Abbreviated from "Optimal Clusters"
+            "Raw Value": [],  # Raw optimal value (not normalized)
+            "Z-Score Norm.": [],  # Z-Score normalized optimal value
+        }
+
+        # Get maximum value and its position from original scores
+        for metric in self.metric_order:
+            values = original_scores.get(metric)
+            if values is None:
+                continue
+
+            if np.all(np.isnan(values)):
+                optimal_k, raw_value, z_val = np.nan, np.nan, np.nan
+            else:
+                pos = np.nanargmax(values)
+                optimal_k = pos + 2
+                raw_value = values[pos]  # Use raw original value
+                z_val = zscore_normalized[metric][pos]
+
+            # Add data to the summary table
+            summary["Metric"].append(metric)
+            summary["Opt. Clusters"].append(optimal_k)
+            summary["Raw Value"].append(raw_value)  # Raw value, not normalized
+            summary["Z-Score Norm."].append(z_val)
+
+        return pd.DataFrame(summary)
+
+    def plot_cqi_scores(self,
+                             metrics_list=None,
+                             norm="zscore",
+                             palette="husl",
+                             line_width=2,
+                             style="whitegrid",
+                             title=None,
+                             xlabel="Number of Clusters",
+                             ylabel="Normalized Score",
+                             grid=True,
+                             save_as=None,
+                             dpi=200,
+                             figsize=(12, 8),
+                             show=True
+                             ):
+        """
+        Plot combined scores for clustering quality indicators with customizable parameters.
+
+        This function displays normalized metric values for easier comparison while preserving
+        the original statistical properties in the legend.
+
+        It first calculates raw means and standard deviations from the original data before applying any normalization,
+        then uses these raw statistics in the legend labels to provide context about the actual scale and
+        distribution of each metric.
+
+        :param metrics_list: List of metrics to plot (default: all available metrics)
+        :param norm: Normalization method for plotting ("zscore", "range", or "none")
+        :param palette: Color palette for the plot
+        :param line_width: Width of plotted lines
+        :param style: Seaborn style for the plot
+        :param title: Plot title
+        :param xlabel: X-axis label
+        :param ylabel: Y-axis label
+        :param grid: Whether to show grid lines
+        :param save_as: File path to save the plot
+        :param dpi: DPI for saved image
+        :param figsize: Figure size in inches
+        :param show: Whether to display the figure (default: True)
+
+        :return: The figure object
+        """
+        # Store original scores before normalization
+        original_scores = self.scores.copy()
+
+        # Calculate statistics from original data
+        original_stats = {}
+        for metric in metrics_list or self.metric_order:
+            values = np.array(original_scores[metric])
+            original_stats[metric] = {
+                'mean': np.nanmean(values),
+                'std': np.nanstd(values)
+            }
+
+        # Apply normalization if requested
+        if norm != "none":
+            self._normalize_scores(method=norm)
+
+        # Set up plot
+        sns.set(style=style)
+        palette_colors = sns.color_palette(palette, len(metrics_list) if metrics_list else len(self.scores))
+        plt.figure(figsize=figsize)
+
+        if metrics_list is None:
+            metrics_list = list(self.metric_order)
+        else:
+            metrics_list = [metric for metric in metrics_list if metric in self.metric_order]
+
+        # Plot each metric
+        for idx, metric in enumerate(metrics_list):
+            values = np.array(self.scores[metric])
+
+            # Use original statistics for legend
+            mean_val = original_stats[metric]['mean']
+            std_val = original_stats[metric]['std']
+            legend_label = f"{metric} ({mean_val:.2f} / {std_val:.2f})"
+
+            plt.plot(
+                range(2, self.max_clusters + 1),
+                values,
+                label=legend_label,
+                color=palette_colors[idx],
+                linewidth=line_width,
+            )
+
+        # Set title and labels
+        if title is None:
+            title = "Cluster Quality Metrics"
+
+        plt.title(title, fontsize=14, fontweight="bold")
+        plt.xlabel(xlabel, fontsize=12)
+        plt.ylabel(ylabel, fontsize=12)
+
+        # Configure ticks and legend
+        plt.xticks(ticks=range(2, self.max_clusters + 1), fontsize=10)
+        plt.yticks(fontsize=10)
+        plt.gca().xaxis.set_major_locator(MaxNLocator(integer=True))
+        plt.legend(title="Metrics (Raw Mean / Std Dev)", fontsize=10, title_fontsize=12)
+
+        # Add a note about normalization
+        norm_note = f"Note: Lines show {norm} normalized values; legend shows raw statistics"
+        plt.figtext(0.5, 0.01, norm_note, ha='center', fontsize=10, style='italic')
+
+        # Configure grid
+        if grid:
+            plt.grid(True, linestyle="--", alpha=0.7)
+        else:
+            plt.grid(False)
+
+        # Adjust layout to make room for the note
+        plt.tight_layout()
+        plt.subplots_adjust(bottom=0.1)
+
+        # Save and show the plot
+        return save_and_show_results(save_as, dpi, show=show)
+
+
+class ClusterResults:
+    def __init__(self, cluster):
+        """
+        Initialize the ClusterResults class.
+
+        :param cluster: An instance of the Cluster class.
+        """
+        if not isinstance(cluster, Cluster):
+            raise ValueError("Input must be an instance of the Cluster class.")
+
+        self.linkage_matrix = cluster.linkage_matrix
+        self.entity_ids = cluster.entity_ids  # Retrieve entity IDs from Cluster class
+        self.weights = cluster.weights  # Retrieve weights from Cluster class
+
+    def get_cluster_memberships(self, num_clusters) -> pd.DataFrame:
+        """
+        Generate a table mapping entity IDs to their corresponding cluster IDs.
+        Based on this table, users later can link this to the original dataframe for further regression models.
+
+        There is a common point of confusion because
+        k is typically used to represent the number of clusters in clustering algorithms (e.g., k-means).
+        However, SciPy's hierarchical clustering API specifically uses t as the parameter name.
+
+        :param num_clusters: The number of clusters to create.
+        :return: Pandas DataFrame with entity IDs and cluster memberships.
+        """
+        if self.linkage_matrix is None:
+            raise ValueError("Linkage matrix is not computed.")
+
+        # Generate cluster labels
+        cluster_labels = fcluster(self.linkage_matrix, t=num_clusters, criterion="maxclust")
+        return pd.DataFrame({"Entity ID": self.entity_ids, "Cluster": cluster_labels})
+
+    def get_cluster_distribution(self, num_clusters, weighted=False) -> pd.DataFrame:
+        """
+        Generate a distribution summary of clusters showing counts, percentages, and optionally weighted statistics.
+
+        This function calculates how many entities belong to each cluster and what
+        percentage of the total they represent. When weighted=True, it also provides
+        weight-based statistics.
+
+        :param num_clusters: The number of clusters to create.
+        :param weighted: If True, include weighted statistics in the distribution.
+        :return: DataFrame with cluster distribution information.
+        """
+        # Get cluster memberships
+        memberships_df = self.get_cluster_memberships(num_clusters)
+
+        # Count entities in each cluster
+        cluster_counts = memberships_df['Cluster'].value_counts().sort_index()
+
+        # Calculate percentages
+        total_entities = len(memberships_df)
+        cluster_percentages = (cluster_counts / total_entities * 100).round(2)
+
+        # Create basic distribution dataframe
+        distribution = pd.DataFrame({
+            'Cluster': cluster_counts.index,
+            'Count': cluster_counts.values,
+            'Percentage': cluster_percentages.values
+        }).sort_values('Cluster')
+
+        # Add weighted statistics if requested
+        if weighted:
+            cluster_weights = []
+            weighted_percentages = []
+            total_weight = np.sum(self.weights)
+            
+            for cluster_id in distribution['Cluster']:
+                # Find entities in this cluster
+                cluster_mask = memberships_df['Cluster'] == cluster_id
+                cluster_entity_indices = memberships_df.index[cluster_mask]
+                
+                # Sum weights for entities in this cluster
+                cluster_weight = np.sum(self.weights[cluster_entity_indices])
+                cluster_weights.append(cluster_weight)
+                
+                # Calculate weighted percentage
+                weighted_pct = (cluster_weight / total_weight * 100) if total_weight > 0 else 0.0
+                weighted_percentages.append(round(weighted_pct, 2))
+            
+            distribution['Weight_Sum'] = cluster_weights
+            distribution['Weight_Percentage'] = weighted_percentages
+
+        return distribution
+
+    def plot_cluster_distribution(self, num_clusters, save_as=None, title=None,
+                                  style="whitegrid", dpi=200, figsize=(10, 6), weighted=False):
+        """
+        Plot the distribution of entities across clusters as a bar chart.
+
+        This visualization shows how many entities belong to each cluster, providing
+        insight into the balance and size distribution of the clustering result.
+        When weighted=True, displays weight-based percentages.
+
+        :param num_clusters: The number of clusters to create.
+        :param save_as: File path to save the plot. If None, the plot will be shown.
+        :param title: Title for the plot. If None, a default title will be used.
+        :param style: Seaborn style for the plot.
+        :param dpi: DPI for saved image.
+        :param figsize: Figure size in inches.
+        :param weighted: If True, display weighted percentages instead of entity count percentages.
+        """
+        # Get cluster distribution data (include weights if needed)
+        distribution = self.get_cluster_distribution(num_clusters, weighted=weighted)
+
+        # Set up plot
+        sns.set(style=style)
+        plt.figure(figsize=figsize)
+
+        # Choose what to plot based on weighted parameter
+        if weighted and 'Weight_Sum' in distribution.columns:
+            y_column = 'Weight_Sum'
+            percentage_column = 'Weight_Percentage'
+            ylabel = "Total Weight"
+            note_text = "Y-axis shows weight sums; percentages above bars indicate weight-based relative frequency."
+        else:
+            y_column = 'Count'
+            percentage_column = 'Percentage'
+            ylabel = "Number of Entities"
+            note_text = "Y-axis shows entity counts; percentages above bars indicate their relative frequency."
+
+        # Create bar plot with a more poetic, fresh color palette
+        # 'muted', 'pastel', and 'husl' are good options for fresher colors
+        ax = sns.barplot(x='Cluster', y=y_column, data=distribution, palette='pastel')
+
+        # Set the Y-axis range to prevent text overflow
+        ax.set_ylim(0, distribution[y_column].max() * 1.2)
+
+        # Ensure Y-axis uses appropriate ticks
+        if not weighted:
+            plt.gca().yaxis.set_major_locator(MaxNLocator(integer=True))
+
+        # Add percentage labels on top of bars
+        for p, (_, row) in zip(ax.patches, distribution.iterrows()):
+            height = p.get_height()
+            percentage = row[percentage_column]
+            ax.text(p.get_x() + p.get_width() / 2., height + max(height * 0.02, 0.5),
+                    f'{percentage:.1f}%', ha="center", fontsize=9)
+
+        # Set a simple label for entity count at the top
+        if title is None:
+            if weighted:
+                title = f"N = {len(self.entity_ids)}, Total Weight = {np.sum(self.weights):.1f}"
+            else:
+                title = f"N = {len(self.entity_ids)}"
+
+        # Use a lighter, non-bold title style
+        plt.title(title, fontsize=12, fontweight="normal", loc='right')
+
+        plt.xlabel("Cluster ID", fontsize=12)
+        plt.ylabel(ylabel, fontsize=12)
+        plt.xticks(fontsize=10)
+        plt.yticks(fontsize=10)
+
+        # Ensure integer ticks for cluster IDs
+        plt.gca().xaxis.set_major_locator(MaxNLocator(integer=True))
+
+        # Add grid for better readability but make it lighter
+        plt.grid(axis='y', linestyle='--', alpha=0.4)
+
+        # Adjust layout
+        plt.tight_layout()
+
+        # Adjust layout to make room for the note
+        plt.subplots_adjust(bottom=0.13)
+
+        # Add a note about what is being displayed
+        plt.figtext(0.5, 0.01, note_text, ha='center', fontsize=10, style='italic')
+
+        # Save and show the plot
+        save_and_show_results(save_as, dpi)
+
+
+# For xinyi's test, because she can't debug in Jupyter :
+    # Traceback (most recent call last):
+    #   File "/Applications/PyCharm.app/Contents/plugins/python-ce/helpers/pydev/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_comm.py", line 736, in make_thread_stack_str
+    #     append('file="%s" line="%s">' % (make_valid_xml_value(my_file), lineno))
+    #   File "/Applications/PyCharm.app/Contents/plugins/python-ce/helpers/pydev/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_xml.py", line 36, in make_valid_xml_value
+    #     return s.replace("&", "&amp;").replace('<', '&lt;').replace('>', '&gt;').replace('"', '&quot;')
+    # AttributeError: 'tuple' object has no attribute 'replace'
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # Import necessary libraries
+    # Your calling code (e.g., in a script or notebook)
+
+    from sequenzo import *  # Import the package, give it a short alias
+    import pandas as pd  # Data manipulation
+    import numpy as np
+
+    # List all the available datasets in Sequenzo
+    # Now access functions using the alias:
+    print('Available datasets in Sequenzo: ', list_datasets())
+
+    # Load the data that we would like to explore in this tutorial
+    # `df` is the short for `dataframe`, which is a common variable name for a dataset
+    # df = load_dataset('country_co2_emissions')
+    # df = load_dataset('mvad')
+    df = pd.read_csv("/Users/xinyi/Projects/sequenzo/sequenzo/data_and_output/orignal data/mvad.csv")
+
+    # 时间列表
+    time_list = ['Jul.93', 'Aug.93', 'Sep.93', 'Oct.93', 'Nov.93', 'Dec.93',
+                 'Jan.94', 'Feb.94', 'Mar.94', 'Apr.94', 'May.94', 'Jun.94', 'Jul.94',
+                 'Aug.94', 'Sep.94', 'Oct.94', 'Nov.94', 'Dec.94', 'Jan.95', 'Feb.95',
+                 'Mar.95', 'Apr.95', 'May.95', 'Jun.95', 'Jul.95', 'Aug.95', 'Sep.95',
+                 'Oct.95', 'Nov.95', 'Dec.95', 'Jan.96', 'Feb.96', 'Mar.96', 'Apr.96',
+                 'May.96', 'Jun.96', 'Jul.96', 'Aug.96', 'Sep.96', 'Oct.96', 'Nov.96',
+                 'Dec.96', 'Jan.97', 'Feb.97', 'Mar.97', 'Apr.97', 'May.97', 'Jun.97',
+                 'Jul.97', 'Aug.97', 'Sep.97', 'Oct.97', 'Nov.97', 'Dec.97', 'Jan.98',
+                 'Feb.98', 'Mar.98', 'Apr.98', 'May.98', 'Jun.98', 'Jul.98', 'Aug.98',
+                 'Sep.98', 'Oct.98', 'Nov.98', 'Dec.98', 'Jan.99', 'Feb.99', 'Mar.99',
+                 'Apr.99', 'May.99', 'Jun.99']
+
+    # 方法1: 使用pandas获取所有唯一值
+    time_states_df = df[time_list]
+    all_unique_states = set()
+
+    for col in time_list:
+        unique_vals = df[col].dropna().unique()  # Remove NaN values
+        all_unique_states.update(unique_vals)
+
+    # 转换为排序的列表
+    states = sorted(list(all_unique_states))
+    print("All unique states:")
+    for i, state in enumerate(states, 1):
+        print(f"{i:2d}. {state}")
+
+    print(f"\nstates list:")
+    print(f"states = {states}")
+
+    # Create a SequenceData object
+
+    # Define the time-span variable
+    time_list = ['Jul.93', 'Aug.93', 'Sep.93', 'Oct.93', 'Nov.93', 'Dec.93',
+                 'Jan.94', 'Feb.94', 'Mar.94', 'Apr.94', 'May.94', 'Jun.94', 'Jul.94',
+                 'Aug.94', 'Sep.94', 'Oct.94', 'Nov.94', 'Dec.94', 'Jan.95', 'Feb.95',
+                 'Mar.95', 'Apr.95', 'May.95', 'Jun.95', 'Jul.95', 'Aug.95', 'Sep.95',
+                 'Oct.95', 'Nov.95', 'Dec.95', 'Jan.96', 'Feb.96', 'Mar.96', 'Apr.96',
+                 'May.96', 'Jun.96', 'Jul.96', 'Aug.96', 'Sep.96', 'Oct.96', 'Nov.96',
+                 'Dec.96', 'Jan.97', 'Feb.97', 'Mar.97', 'Apr.97', 'May.97', 'Jun.97',
+                 'Jul.97', 'Aug.97', 'Sep.97', 'Oct.97', 'Nov.97', 'Dec.97', 'Jan.98',
+                 'Feb.98', 'Mar.98', 'Apr.98', 'May.98', 'Jun.98', 'Jul.98', 'Aug.98',
+                 'Sep.98', 'Oct.98', 'Nov.98', 'Dec.98', 'Jan.99', 'Feb.99', 'Mar.99',
+                 'Apr.99', 'May.99', 'Jun.99']
+
+    states = ['FE', 'HE', 'employment', 'joblessness', 'school', 'training']
+    labels = ['further education', 'higher education', 'employment', 'joblessness', 'school', 'training']
+
+    # TODO: write a try and error: if no such a parameter, then ask to pass the right ones
+    # sequence_data = SequenceData(df, time=time, id_col="country", ids=df['country'].values, states=states)
+
+    sequence_data = SequenceData(df,
+                                 time=time_list,
+                                 id_col="id",
+                                 states=states,
+                                 labels=labels,
+                                 )
+
+    om = get_distance_matrix(sequence_data,
+                             method="OM",
+                             sm="CONSTANT",
+                             indel=1)
+
+    cluster = Cluster(om, sequence_data.ids, clustering_method='ward_d')
+    cluster.plot_dendrogram(xlabel="Individuals", ylabel="Distance")
+
+    # Create a ClusterQuality object to evaluate clustering quality
+    cluster_quality = ClusterQuality(cluster)
+    cluster_quality.compute_cluster_quality_scores()
+    cluster_quality.plot_cqi_scores(norm='zscore')
+    summary_table = cluster_quality.get_cqi_table()
+    print(summary_table)
+
+    table = cluster_quality.get_cluster_range_table()
+    # table.to_csv("cluster_quality_table.csv")
+
+    print(table)