Transforming tabular data into images via enhanced spatial relationships for CNN processing.
Journal:
Scientific reports
Published Date:
May 16, 2025
Abstract
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), renowned for their efficiency in image analysis, have revolutionized pattern and structure recognition in visual data. Despite their success in image-based applications, CNNs face challenges when applied to tabular data due to the lack of inherent spatial relationships among features. This weakness can be overcome if the original tabular data is expanded to create an enhanced image that exhibits pseudo-spatial relationships. This paper introduces an original approach that transforms tabular data into a format suitable for CNN processing. The Novel Algorithm for Convolving Tabular Data (NCTD) applies mathematical transformations including rotation translation and reflection, to simulate spatial relationships within the data, thereby constructing a data structure analogous to a 2D synthetic image. This transformation enables CNNs to process tabular data efficiently by leveraging automated feature extraction and enhanced pattern recognition. The NCTD algorithm was extensively evaluated and compared with traditional machine learning algorithms and existing methods on ten benchmark datasets. The results showed that NCTD consistently surpassed the majority of competing algorithms in nine out of ten datasets, indicating its potential as a robust tool for extending CNN applicability beyond conventional image-based domains, particularly in complex classification and prediction.
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