diff --git a/examples/cluster/plot_som_colormap.py b/examples/cluster/plot_som_colormap.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..19f326d156cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/cluster/plot_som_colormap.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+"""
+===========================================================
+A demo of SelfOrganisingMap with colored neurons
+===========================================================
+
+Example for SOM clustering using 3 dimensionals vectors (RGB)
+with 8 colors (black, white, red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta)
+
+"""
+print __doc__
+import pylab as pl
+from matplotlib.colors import ListedColormap, NoNorm, rgb2hex
+import numpy as np
+from scikits.learn.cluster import SelfOrganizingMap
+
+
+def plot(neurons):
+    assert neurons.shape[-1] == 3
+    h, w, d = neurons.shape
+    hexmap = np.apply_along_axis(rgb2hex, 1, neurons.reshape(-1, 3) / 256)
+    index = np.arange(h * w).reshape(h, w)
+    pl.pcolor(index, cmap=ListedColormap(hexmap), norm=NoNorm())
+
+train = np.array([[0, 0, 0],       # black
+                  [255, 255, 255], # white
+                  [255, 0, 0],     # red
+                  [0, 255, 0],     # green
+                  [0, 0, 255],     # blue
+                  [255, 255, 0],   # yellow
+                  [0, 255, 255],   # cyan
+                  [255, 0, 255]])  # magenta
+
+init = np.random.rand(16, 16, 3) * 255
+
+pl.subplot(1, 2, 1, aspect='equal')
+plot(init)
+pl.title('Initial map')
+
+som = SelfOrganizingMap(init, n_iterations=1024,
+                        init='matrix', learning_rate=1)
+som.fit(train)
+
+pl.subplot(1, 2, 2, aspect='equal')
+plot(som.neurons_)
+pl.title('Organized Map')
+F = pl.gcf()
+F.set_size_inches((40, 20))
+pl.show()
diff --git a/examples/cluster/som_digits.py b/examples/cluster/som_digits.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..db64fc892819d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/cluster/som_digits.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""
+=======================================================================
+A demo of Self-Organising Map and KMeans on the handwritten digits data
+=======================================================================
+
+Comparing various SOM and Kmeans clustering on the handwritten digits data
+with the pseudo_F index
+ 
+"""
+from __future__ import division
+print __doc__
+
+from time import time
+import numpy as np
+
+from scikits.learn.cluster import KMeans
+from scikits.learn.cluster import SelfOrganizingMap
+from scikits.learn.cluster import pseudo_F
+from scikits.learn.datasets import load_digits
+from scikits.learn.preprocessing import scale
+from scikits.learn.metrics import confusion_matrix
+    
+np.random.seed(42)
+
+################################################################################
+# Load dataset 
+
+digits = load_digits()
+data = scale(digits.data)
+n_samples, n_features = data.shape
+n_digits = len(np.unique(digits.target))
+
+print "Digits dataset"
+print "n_digits   : %d" % n_digits
+print "n_features : %d" % n_features
+print "n_samples  : %d" % n_samples
+print
+
+################################################################################
+# Digits dataset clustering using Self-Organizing Map
+
+print "Self-Organizing Map "
+t0 = time()
+grid_width = 4
+som = SelfOrganizingMap(size=grid_width, n_iterations=n_samples*5,
+                        learning_rate=1)
+som.fit(data)
+print "done in %0.3fs" % (time() - t0)
+print
+
+F = pseudo_F(data, som.labels_, som.neurons_)
+print 'pseudo_F %0.2f | %0.2f%%' % (F, 100 * (F / (1 + F)))
+print
+
+################################################################################
+# Digits dataset clustering using Kmeans
+
+print "KMeans "
+t0 = time()
+km = KMeans(init='k-means++', k=grid_width**2, n_init=10)
+km.fit(data)
+print "done in %0.3fs" % (time() - t0)
+print
+
+F = pseudo_F(data, km.labels_, km.cluster_centers_)
+print 'pseudo_F %0.2f | %0.2f%%' % (F, 100 * (F / (1 + F)))
diff --git a/scikits/learn/cluster/__init__.py b/scikits/learn/cluster/__init__.py
index cedab2e2f8e0d..c0647f9685654 100644
--- a/scikits/learn/cluster/__init__.py
+++ b/scikits/learn/cluster/__init__.py
@@ -6,4 +6,27 @@
 from .mean_shift_ import mean_shift, MeanShift, estimate_bandwidth
 from .affinity_propagation_ import affinity_propagation, AffinityPropagation
 from .k_means_ import k_means, KMeans
+from .som_ import SelfOrganizingMap
 
+import numpy as np
+
+def pseudo_F(X, labels, centroids):
+    '''
+    The pseudo F statistic :
+
+    pseudo F = [( [(T - PG)/(G - 1)])/( [(PG)/(n - G)])] 
+
+    The pseudo F statistic was suggested by Calinski and Harabasz (1974)
+
+    Calinski, T. and J. Harabasz. 1974. 
+    A dendrite method for cluster analysis. Commun. Stat. 3: 1-27.
+    http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03610927408827101
+    '''
+    mean = np.mean(X,axis=0) 
+    B = np.sum([ (c - mean)**2 for c in centroids])
+    W = np.sum([ (x-centroids[labels[i]])**2 
+                 for i, x in enumerate(X)])
+    c = len(centroids)
+    n = len(X)
+    return (B /(c-1))/(W/ (n-c))
+    
diff --git a/scikits/learn/cluster/som_.py b/scikits/learn/cluster/som_.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..772588bd8c369
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/learn/cluster/som_.py
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+"""
+ Self-organizing map
+
+ Reference : (to check)
+ Kohonen, T.; , "The self-organizing map,"
+ Proceedings of the IEEE , vol.78, no.9, pp.1464-1480, Sep 1990
+"""
+# Authors: Sebastien Campion <sebastien.campion@inria.fr>
+# License: BSD
+from __future__ import division
+import math
+import numpy as np
+from ..base import BaseEstimator
+
+
+class SelfOrganizingMap(BaseEstimator):
+    """Self-Organizing Map
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    X : ndarray
+        A M by N array of M observations in N dimensions or a length
+        M array of N one-dimensional observations.
+
+    size : int
+        Width and height of the square map as well as the number of
+        centroids to generate. If init initialization string is
+        'matrix', or if a ndarray is given instead, it is
+        interpreted as initial cluster to use instead.
+
+    n_iterations : int
+        Number of iterations of the som algrithm to run
+
+    learning_rate : float
+        Learning rate
+
+    init : {'random', 'matrix'}
+        Method for initialization, defaults to 'random':
+
+        'random': randomly points choosed
+
+        'matrix': interpret the size parameter as a size by M array
+         of initial neurons.
+
+    Methods
+    -------
+    fit(X):
+        Compute SOM
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    neurons_: array, [(x,y), n_features]
+        Coordinates of neurons and value
+
+    labels_:
+        Labels of each point
+
+    Notes
+    ------
+
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, size=16, init='random', n_iterations=64,
+                 learning_rate=1, callback=None):
+        self.size = size
+        self.init = init
+        self.n_iterations = n_iterations
+        self.learning_rate = learning_rate
+        self.callback = callback
+
+    def fit(self, X, **params):
+        """Given an sample of X, we randomly choose one of them for each
+        iteration.
+        A good ratio, nb X = 2 or 3 x nbiter"""
+        X = np.asanyarray(X)
+        self._set_params(**params)
+        self.neurons_ = None
+        dim = X.shape[-1]
+
+        # init neurons_
+        if self.init == 'random':
+            self.neurons_ = np.random.rand(self.size, self.size, dim)
+        elif self.init == 'matrix':
+            assert len(self.size.shape) == 3
+            self.neurons_ = self.size
+            self.size = self.neurons_.shape[0]
+
+        # iteration loop
+        iteration = 0 
+        indices = np.random.random_integers(0, len(X)-1, self.n_iterations)
+        for i in indices:
+            l = self.n_iterations / self.size
+            lr = self.learning_rate * math.exp(-iteration / l)
+            self._learn_vector(X[i], lr, iteration)
+            iteration += 1
+            if self.callback != None:
+                self.callback(self, iteration)
+
+        # assign labels
+        self.labels_ = [self.bmu(x) for x in X]
+        return self
+
+    def _learn_vector(self, vector, lr, iteration):
+        winner = self.bmu(vector)
+        radius = self.radius_of_the_neighbordhood(iteration)
+        for n in self.neurons_in_radius(winner, radius):
+            nx, ny = n
+            wt = self.neurons_[nx][ny]
+            dr = self.dist(winner, n, radius)
+            self.neurons_[nx][ny] = wt + dr * lr * (vector - wt)
+
+    def bmu(self, vector):
+        """Best matching unit
+        """
+        assert vector.shape[0] == self.neurons_.shape[-1]
+        vector = np.resize(vector, self.neurons_.shape)
+        dists = np.sum((vector - self.neurons_)**2, axis=-1)
+        min = dists.argmin()
+        #w = np.unravel_index(min,dists.shape)
+        return divmod(min, self.size)
+
+    def dist(self, w, n, radius):
+        wx, wy = w
+        nx, ny = n
+        d = (wx - nx)**2 + (wy - ny)**2
+        # offcial paper implementation : return math.exp(-d/2*radius**2)
+        return math.exp(-d / radius)
+
+    def neurons_in_radius(self, winner, radius):
+        wi, wj = winner
+        x = y = np.arange(self.size)
+        xx, yy = np.meshgrid(x, y)
+        v = np.sqrt((xx - wi)**2 + (yy - wj)**2) < radius
+        return np.c_[np.nonzero(v)]
+
+    def radius_of_the_neighbordhood(self, iteration):
+        l = self.n_iterations / self.size
+        return self.size * math.exp(-iteration / l)
diff --git a/scikits/learn/cluster/tests/test_som.py b/scikits/learn/cluster/tests/test_som.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..080648f2643fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/learn/cluster/tests/test_som.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+"""
+Testing for SOM
+
+"""
+import numpy as np
+from numpy.testing import assert_equal
+
+from ..som_ import SelfOrganizingMap
+from .common import generate_clustered_data
+
+n_clusters = 4
+n_features = 2
+X = generate_clustered_data(n_clusters=n_clusters, n_features=2, std=.1)
+
+
+def test_som():
+    np.random.seed(1)
+    som = SelfOrganizingMap(size=2, n_iterations=10, learning_rate=1)
+    som.fit(X)
+    labels = som.labels_
+
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels).shape[0], 4)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[:20]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[20:40]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[40:60]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[60:]).shape[0], 1)
+
+def test_som_init_matrix():
+    np.random.seed(1)
+    random_ind = np.random.randint(0, X.shape[0], size=n_clusters)
+    init_map = X[random_ind].reshape(2,2,n_features)
+
+    som = SelfOrganizingMap(size=init_map, init='matrix',
+                            n_iterations=2000, learning_rate=0.1)
+
+    som.fit(X)
+    labels = som.labels_
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels).shape[0], 4)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[:20]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[20:40]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[40:60]).shape[0], 1)
+    assert_equal(np.unique(labels[60:]).shape[0], 1)