Cluster analysis relies on grouping objects into similar clusters based on their characteristics. It is a technique used in data mining, machine learning, and statistical analysis to organize large datasets. There are several different clustering algorithms that group objects based on internal homogeneity and external heterogeneity when plotted geometrically. Common types of cluster analysis include hierarchical clustering which groups objects into clusters in a nested or tree structure, centroid-based clustering which assigns objects to the nearest cluster center, distribution-based clustering which groups objects that belong to the same statistical distribution, and density-based clustering which defines clusters by areas of higher density compared to other areas of the dataset.