  We propose an algorithm to detect mini-jet clusters in high-energy nuclear
collisions, by selecting a high-transverse-momentum ($p_T$) particle as a seed
and assigning a clustering radius ($R$) in the pseudorapidity and
azimuthal-angle space. Our PYTHIA simulations for $p$+$p$ collisions show that
a scheme with a seeding $p_T$ of around 0.5 GeV/$c$ and $R$ of approximately
0.6 satisfactorily identifies mini-jet clusters. The correlation between
clusters obtained in PYTHIA calculations using the algorithm exhibits the
proper behavior of hard-scattering-like processes, suggesting its usefulness in
isolating mini-jet-like clusters from non-hard-scattering soft processes when
applied to actual nuclear-collision data, thereby allowing a closer examination
of both the mini-jet and the soft mechanisms.
