Multi-level flow-based Markov clustering for design structure matrices

For decomposition and integration of systems one requires extensive knowledge on system structure. A Design Structure Matrix (DSM) can provide a simple, compact and visual representation of dependencies between system elements. By permuting the rows and columns of a DSM using a clustering algorithm, the underlying structure of a system can be revealed. In this paper, we present a new DSM clustering algorithm based upon Markov clustering. The developed clustering algorithm is able to cope with the presence of 'bus' elements, returns multilevel clusters, is capable of clustering both directed as well as undirected DSMs, and allows the user to control the cluster results by tuning only three input parameters.