Abstract Hierarchical classification (HC), decomposing problem and organizing the classifiers according to the category hierarchy, is an efficient solution for multi-class classification problem. Depending on whether an explicit hierarchical relationship among categories is required, HC methods can be divided into two types. In this paper, the HC methods which do not require explicit hierarchical relationship among categories are reviewed systematically. Firstly, the basic framework of this type of methods is outlined. Then, the research progresses of several key techniques are elaborated and analyzed. Next, the related research work at home and abroad is described in detail from both algorithm and application perspectives. Finally, the existing methods are summarized and several future research directions are pointed out.
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