pca - Principal components analysis
This function performs several computations known as "principal component analysis". It includes drawing of "correlations circle", i.e. in the horizontal axis the correlation values r(c1;xj) and in the vertical r(c2;xj). It is an extension of the pca function.
The idea behind this method is to represent in an approximative manner a cluster of n individuals in a smaller dimensional subspace. In order to do that, it projects the cluster onto a subspace. The choice of the k-dimensional projection subspace is made in such a way that the distances in the projection have a minimal deformation: we are looking for a k-dimensional subspace such that the squares of the distances in the projection is as big as possible (in fact in a projection, distances can only stretch). In other words, inertia of the projection onto the k dimensional subspace must be maximal.
Carlos Klimann
Saporta, Gilbert, Probabilites, Analyse des Donnees et Statistique, Editions Technip, Paris, 1990.