Feature weighting algorithms for classification of hyperspectral images using a support vector machine.

The support vector machine (SVM) is a widely used approach for high-dimensional data classification. Traditionally, SVMs use features from the spectral bands of hyperspectral images with each feature contributing equally to the classification. In practical applications, although affected by noise, slight contributions can also be obtained from deteriorated bands. Thus, compared with feature reduction or equal assignment of weights to all the features, feature weighting is a trade-off choice. In this study, we examined two approaches to assigning weights to SVM features to increase the overall classification accuracy: (1) "CSC-SVM" refers to a support vector machine with compactness and a separation coefficient feature weighting algorithm, and (2) "SE-SVM" refers to a support vector machine with a similarity entropy feature weighting algorithm. Analyses were conducted on a public data set with nine selected land-cover classes. In comparison with traditional SVMs and other classical feature weighting algorithms, the proposed weighting algorithms increase the overall classification accuracy, and even better results could be obtained with few training samples.