1. A method of clustering a first query datapoint x 1 to a first cluster comprising a first cluster center, wherein the first query datapoint and the first cluster center are selected from a plurality of datapoints in space and wherein each of the datapoints is characterized by a density and wherein the plurality of datapoints further comprises datapoints assigned to one or more clusters other than the first cluster, the method comprising (a) determining a first trace of the first query datapoint to the first cluster center, wherein the first trace comprises n datapoints selected from the plurality of datapoints and wherein n is an integer, the determining step comprising: (i) identifying the first query datapoint x 1 ; (ii) determining the remaining n−1 datapoints x 2. .. x n of the first trace, wherein x n designates the first cluster center; and wherein x j+1 has the greatest density of all datapoints lying within a cutoff distance from x j , wherein j is an integer selected from 1 to n−1; and (b) assigning the first query datapoint to the first cluster, wherein the determining and the assigning are performed using a suitably programmed computer.