The Distance Matrix Report

The Distance Matrix platform computes the distances between all pairs of observations (rows or samples) in the input data table. The resulting distance matrix is a square, symmetric matrix whose dimensions equal the number of observations. Each cell represents the distance between two observations, with zeros along the diagonal. The distance matrix is saved either in the original data table or in a new data table, depending on user preferences. After computing the distance matrix, the platform automatically performs a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) on the distance matrix and adds the first two principal components as new columns in the data table. These components are used to generate the PCA plot in the output window, where samples that are more similar tend to cluster together. Users can specify additional principal components to display or use in creating further visualizations.

Figure 9.3 The Distance Matrix Report