A Method for Measuring Similarity of Books: A Step Towards an Objective Recommender System for Readers

摘要

In the paper we propose a method for book comparison based on graphical radar chart intersection area method. The method was designed as a universal tool and its most important parameter is document feature vector (DFV), which defines a set of text descriptors used to measure particular properties of analyzed text. Numerical values of the DFV that define book characteristic are stretched on radar chart and intersection area drawn for two books is interpreted as a measure of bilateral similarity in sense of defined DFV. Experiment conducted on relatively simple definition of the DFV gave promising results in recognition of books' similarity (in sense of author and literature domain). Such an approach may be used for building a recommender system for readers willing to select a book matching their preferences recognized by objective properties of a reference book.