Analyzing the combination of conflicting belief functions

We consider uncertain data which uncertainty is represented by belief functions and that must be combined. The result of the combination of the belief functions can be partially conflictual. Initially Shafer proposed Dempster’s rule of combination where the conflict is reallocated proportionally among the other masses. Then Zadeh presented an example where Dempster’s rule of combination produces unsatisfactory results. Several solutions were proposed: the TBM solution where masses are not renormalized and conflict is stored in the mass given to the empty set, Yager’s solution where the conflict is transferred to the universe and Dubois and Prade’s solution where the masses resulting from pairs of conflictual focal elements are transferred to the union of these subsets. Many other suggestions have then been made, creating a ‘jungle’ of combination rules. We discuss the nature of the combinations (conjunctive versus disjunctive, revision versus updating, static versus dynamic data fusion), argue about the need for a normalization, examine the possible origins of the conflicts, determine if a combination is justified and analyze many of the proposed solutions.     

Decision-based fuzzy image restoration for noise reduction based on evidence theory

A novel decision-based fuzzy averaging (DFA) filter consisting of a D–S (Dempster–Shafer) noise detector and a two-pass noise filtering mechanism is presented in this paper. The proposed filter can effectively deal with impulsive noise, and a mix of Gaussian and impulsive noise. Bodies of evidence are extracted, and the basic belief assignment is developed using the simple support function, which avoids the counter-intuitive problem of Dempster’s combination rule. The combination belief value is the decision rule for the D–S noise detector. A fuzzy averaging method, where the weights are constructed using a predefined fuzzy set, is developed to achieve noise cancellation. A simple second-pass filter is employed to improve the final filtering performance. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the new DFA filter both in suppressing impulsive noise as well as a mix Gaussian and impulsive noise and in improving perceived image quality.     

Idempotent conjunctive combination of belief functions: Extending the minimum rule of possibility theory

When conjunctively merging two belief functions concerning a single variable but coming from different sources, Dempster rule of combination is justified only when information sources can be considered as independent. When dependencies between sources are ill-known, it is usual to require the property of idempotence for the merging of belief functions, as this property captures the possible redundancy of dependent sources. To study idempotent merging, different strategies can be followed. One strategy is to rely on idempotent rules used in either more general or more specific frameworks and to study, respectively, their particularization or extension to belief functions. In this paper, we study the feasibility of extending the idempotent fusion rule of possibility theory (the minimum) to belief functions. We first investigate how comparisons of information content, in the form of inclusion and least-commitment, can be exploited to relate idempotent merging in possibility theory to evidence theory. We reach the conclusion that unless we accept the idea that the result of the fusion process can be a family of belief functions, such an extension is not always possible. As handling such families seems impractical, we then turn our attention to a more quantitative criterion and consider those combinations that maximize the expected cardinality of the joint belief functions, among the least committed ones, taking advantage of the fact that the expected cardinality of a belief function only depends on its contour function.     

On the dempster-shafer framework and new combination rules

We discuss the basic concepts of the Dempster-Shafer approach, basic probability assignments, belief functions, and probability functions. We discuss how to represent various types of knowledge in this framework. We discuss measures of entropy and specificity for belief structures. We discuss the combination and extension of belief structures. We introduce some concerns associated with the Dempster rule of combination inherent in the normalization due to conflict. We introduce two alternative techniques for combining belief structures. The first uses Dempster's rule, while the second is based upon a modification of this rule. We discuss the issue of credibility of a witness.     

证据的分组合成法

为了提高证据融合的精确度并降低融合的运算量,结合批量式融合和序贯式融合的优点,提出证据分组合成法.该方法首先判断证据间是否可用Dempster组合规则进行合成,若可以,则两证据归为同组;否则归为不同组.对于同组证据,利用Dempster组合规则直接合成,即组内证据序贯式融合;对于不同组证据,通过最优化模型修正各组证据源,再利用Dempster组合规则合成,即组间证据批量式融合.算例分析验证了该方法具有运算量小、稳定性好、精确度高的特点.     

New method for measuring the degree of conflict among general basic probability assignments

There is doubt about Dempster’s rule of combination because of counter-intuitive results when dealing with conflict information in intelligent reasoning.Therefore,many modified combination rules have been presented in the literature on multi-source information fusion and reasoning with uncertainty.However,the issue of identifying conflict among evidence has been ignored.A new parameter measuring conflict evidence called the conflict distance parameter is defined to determine whether there are conflicts in evidence based on the analysis of existing conflict parameters.At the same time,a decisive rule,which a reasonable conflict measure function should satisfy,is put forward.Finally,an analysis of two typical counter-intuitive situations is given,showing that the new parameter can not only satisfy the decisive rule,but can also attain the same effect as a two-dimensional measure when deciding whether to use the Dempster’s rule of combination,and can exceed its effect when deciding whether to use Dezert-Smarandache theory.     

基于冲突强度和非正则化的证据合成方法研究

证据推理广泛应用于不确定推理和数据融合等许多方面,但D-S合成规则对于高冲突证据的处理不是十分合理的。论文在分析D-S合成规则以及一些改进方法的基础上,提出了一种基于冲突强度和非正则化的冲突证据合成规则,并引入确定度的概念来衡量合成的效果。仿真实验结果表明,该规则比D-S合成规则有了明显的改进。     

基于加权证据距离的高度冲突证据组合方法

为了有效融合高度冲突的证据,以Murphy方法和邓勇加权平均法为基础,提出了一种新的基于加权证据距离的证据组合方法。用Murphy方法确定各证据体的权重,采用修正的City Block距离加权平均求证据间的两两距离,进而获取各证据被其他所有证据支持的程度,归一化各证据的总支持度作为该证据的权重,对多源证据加权平均后再利用Dempster组合规则实现信息融合。实验结果表明,该方法能够更加有效快速地识别出目标,拥有更快的收敛速度。     

Robust combination rules for evidence theory

Dempster’s rule of combination in evidence theory is a powerful tool for reasoning under uncertainty. Since Zadeh highlighted the counter-intuitive behaviour of Dempster’s rule, a plethora of alternative combination rules have been proposed. In this paper, we propose a general formulation for combination rules in evidence theory as a weighted sum of the conjunctive and disjunctive rules. Moreover, with the aim of automatically accounting for the reliability of sources of information, we propose a class of robust combination rules (RCR) in which the weights are a function of the conflict between two pieces of information. The interpretation given to the weight of conflict between two BPAs is an indicator of the relative reliability of the sources: if the conflict is low, then both sources are reliable, and if the conflict is high, then at least one source is unreliable. We show some interesting properties satisfied by the RCRs, such as positive belief reinforcement or the neutral impact of vacuous belief, and establish links with other classes of rules. The behaviour of the RCRs over non-exhaustive frames of discernment is also studied, as the RCRs implicitly perform a kind of automatic deconditioning through the simple use of the disjunctive operator. We focus our study on two special cases: (1) RCR-S, a rule with symmetric coefficients that is proved to be unique and (2) RCR-L, a rule with asymmetric coefficients based on a logarithmic function. Their behaviours are then compared to some classical combination rules proposed thus far in the literature, on a few examples, and on Monte Carlo simulations.     

Belief function combination and conflict management

Within the framework of evidence theory, data fusion consists in obtaining a single belief function by the combination of several belief functions resulting from distinct information sources. The most popular rule of combination, called Dempster's rule of combination (or the orthogonal sum), has several interesting mathematical properties such as commutativity or associativity. However, combining belief functions with this operator implies normalizing the results by scaling them proportionally to the conflicting mass in order to keep some basic properties. Although this normalization seems logical, several authors have criticized it and some have proposed other solutions. In particular, Dempster's combination operator is a poor solution for the management of the conflict between the various information sources at the normalization step. Conflict management is a major problem especially during the fusion of many information sources. Indeed, the conflict increases with the number of information sources. That is why a strategy for re-assigning the conflicting mass is essential. In this paper, we define a formalism to describe a family of combination operators. So, we propose to develop a generic framework in order to unify several classical rules of combination. We also propose other combination rules allowing an arbitrary or adapted assignment of the conflicting mass to subsets.     

On combination rule in Dempster–Shafer theory using OWA-based soft likelihood functions and its applications in environmental impact assessment

Dempster–Shafer theory (DST) was presented as an effective mathematical tool to represent uncertainty. Its significant innovation is to allow the allocation of the belief of mass to sets or intervals, and it becomes a valuable method in the field of decision making and evaluation when accurate information is not available or when knowledge is expressed subjectively by humans. A crucial research issue in DST is the combination of multi-sources of evidence. In this paper, a novel combination rule for Dempster–Shafer structures is developed based on ordered weighted average (OWA)-based soft likelihood functions proposed by Yager. First, the belief intervals, including the belief measures and plausibility measures, of all the hypotheses in the frame of discernment (FOD) are calculated. Second, the representative value of belief interval is defined based on golden rule introduced by Yager. Third, the soft likelihood value of each hypothesis is calculated based on the proposed OWA-based soft likelihood function for belief interval, which can be considered as the combined evidence. The final evaluation results can be employed for practical applications, such as decision making and evaluation. In addition, the improved evidence combination rule is presented which takes into account the weight of evidence. Several illustrative examples are conducted to manifest the use of the developed methods. Finally, an application for environmental impact assessment is given to demonstrate the usefulness of the developed combination rule in DST.     

基于向量冲突表示方法的证据组合规则

针对Dempster组合规则在高冲突证据融合的情况下常常会得到违背直觉的结果,提出了一种基于向量冲突表示方法的Dempster(VCRD)组合规则。首先,通过实例分析了冲突因子和Jousselme距离存在的不足;然后,利用证据向量的相似性和差异性共同衡量证据之间的冲突程度,通过证据之间的冲突程度确定修正证据的权重因子,对融合证据进行预处理;最后,利用Dempster组合规则进行融合。理论分析和仿真实验结果表明:与Dempster组合规则及其它改进算法相比,VCRD组合规则能够合理地处理高冲突证据情况下的融合问题,降低了决策风险。     

A flexible rule for evidential combination in Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence

Dempster’s combination rule in Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence is widely used to combine multiple pieces of evidence. However, when the evidence is severely conflicting, the result could be counter-intuitive. Thus, many alternative combination rules have been proposed to address this issue. Nevertheless, the existing ones sometimes behave not very well. This may be because they do not hold some essential properties. To this end, this paper firstly identifies some of the important properties. Then, following the cues from these properties, we propose a novel evidential combination rule as a remediation of Dempster’s combination rule in Dempster–Shafertheory. Our new rule is based on the concept of complete conflict (we introduced in this paper), Dempster’s combination rule, and the concept of evidence weight. Moreover, we illustrate the effectiveness of our new rule by using it to successfully resolve well-known Zadeh’s counter-example, which is against Dempster’s combination rule. Finally, we confirm the advantages of our method over the existing methods through some examples.     

Representation and combination of uncertainty with belief functions and possibility measures

The theory of evidence proposed by G. Shafer is gaining more and more acceptance in the field of artificial intelligence, for the purpose of managing uncertainty in knowledge bases. One of the crucial problems is combining uncertain pieces of evidence stemming from several sources, whether rules or physical sensors. This paper examines the framework of belief functions in terms of expressive power for knowledge representation. It is recalled that probability theory and Zadeh's theory of possibility are mathematically encompassed by the theory of evidence, as far as the evaluation of belief is concerned. Empirical and axiomatic foundations of belief functions and possibility measures are investigated. Then the general problem of combining uncertain evidence is addressed, with focus on Dempster rule of combination. It is pointed out that this rule is not very well adapted to the pooling of conflicting information. Alternative rules are proposed to cope with this problem and deal with specific cases such as nonreliable sources, nonexhaustive sources, inconsistent sources, and dependent sources. It is also indicated that combination rules issued from fuzzy set and possibility theory look more flexible than Dempster rule because many variants exist, and their numerical stability seems to be better.     

Fuzzy aggregation operators in decision making with Dempster-Shafer belief structure

We study the decision-making problem with Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. We analyze how to deal with this model when the available information is uncertain and it can be represented with fuzzy numbers. We use different types of aggregation operators that aggregate fuzzy numbers such as the fuzzy weighted average (FWA), the fuzzy ordered weighted averaging (FOWA) operator and the fuzzy hybrid averaging (FHA) operator. As a result, we get the belief structure fuzzy weighted average (BS-FWA), the belief structure fuzzy ordered weighted averaging (BS-FOWA) operator and the belief structure fuzzy hybrid averaging (BS-FHA) operator. We further generalize this new approach by using generalized and quasi-arithmetic means. We also develop an illustrative example regarding the selection of investments where we can see the different results obtained by using different types of fuzzy aggregation operators.     

Building ensemble classifiers using belief functions and OWA operators

A pervasive task in many forms of human activity is classification. Recent interest in the classification process has focused on ensemble classifier systems. These types of systems are based on a paradigm of combining the outputs of a number of individual classifiers. In this paper we propose a new approach for obtaining the final output of ensemble classifiers. The method presented here uses the Dempster–Shafer concept of belief functions to represent the confidence in the outputs of the individual classifiers. The combing of the outputs of the individual classifiers is based on an aggregation process which can be seen as a fusion of the Dempster rule of combination with a generalized form of OWA operator. The use of the OWA operator provides an added degree of flexibility in expressing the way the aggregation of the individual classifiers is performed.     

Multi-sensor data fusion based on the belief divergence measure of evidences and the belief entropy

Multi-sensor data fusion technology plays an important role in real applications. Because of the flexibility and effectiveness in modeling and processing the uncertain information regardless of prior probabilities, Dempster–Shafer evidence theory is widely applied in a variety of fields of information fusion. However, counter-intuitive results may come out when fusing the highly conflicting evidences. In order to deal with this problem, a novel method for multi-sensor data fusion based on a new belief divergence measure of evidences and the belief entropy was proposed. First, a new Belief Jensen–Shannon divergence is devised to measure the discrepancy and conflict degree between the evidences; then, the credibility degree can be obtained to represent the reliability of the evidences. Next, considering the uncertainties of the evidences, the information volume of the evidences are measured by making use of the belief entropy to indicate the relative importance of the evidences. Afterwards, the credibility degree of each evidence is modified by taking advantage of the quantitative information volume which will be utilized to obtain an appropriate weight in terms of each evidence. Ultimately, the final weights of the evidences are applied to adjust the bodies of the evidences before using the Dempster’s combination rule. A numerical example is illustrated that the proposed method is feasible and effective in handling the conflicting evidences, where the belief value of target increases to 99.05%. Furthermore, an application in fault diagnosis is given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other related methods where the basic belief assignment (BBA) of the true target is 89.73%.     

An integrated information fusion approach based on the theory of evidence and group decision-making

Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence has been employed as a major method for reasoning with multiple evidence. The Dempster’s rule of combination is however incapable of managing highly conflicting evidence coming from different information sources at the normalization step. Extending current rules, we incorporate the ideas of group decision-making into the theory of evidence and propose an integrated approach to automatically identify and discount unreliable evidence. An adaptive robust combination rule that incorporates the information contained in the consistent focal elements is then constructed to combine such evidence. This rule adjusts the weights of the conjunctive and disjunctive rules according to a function of the consistency of focal elements. The theoretical arguments are supported by numerical experiments. Compared to existing combination rules, the proposed approach can obtain a reasonable and reliable decision, as well as the level of uncertainty about it.     

Distributed combination of belief functions

We consider the problem of combining belief functions in a situation where pieces of evidence are held by agents at the node of a communication network, and each agent can only exchange information with its neighbors. Using the concept of weight of evidence, we propose distributed implementations of Dempster’s rule and the cautious rule based, respectively, on average and maximum consensus algorithms. We also describe distributed procedures whereby the agents can agree on a frame of discernment and a list of supported hypotheses, thus reducing the amount of data to be exchanged in the network. Finally, we show the feasibility of a robust combination procedure based on a distributed implementation of the random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm.     

Context-dependent combination of sensor information in Dempster–Shafer theory for BDI

There has been much interest in the belief–desire–intention (BDI) agent-based model for developing scalable intelligent systems, e.g. using the AgentSpeak framework. However, reasoning from sensor information in these large-scale systems remains a significant challenge. For example, agents may be faced with information from heterogeneous sources which is uncertain and incomplete, while the sources themselves may be unreliable or conflicting. In order to derive meaningful conclusions, it is important that such information be correctly modelled and combined. In this paper, we choose to model uncertain sensor information in Dempster–Shafer (DS) theory. Unfortunately, as in other uncertainty theories, simple combination strategies in DS theory are often too restrictive (losing valuable information) or too permissive (resulting in ignorance). For this reason, we investigate how a context-dependent strategy originally defined for possibility theory can be adapted to DS theory. In particular, we use the notion of largely partially maximal consistent subsets (LPMCSes) to characterise the context for when to use Dempster’s original rule of combination and for when to resort to an alternative. To guide this process, we identify existing measures of similarity and conflict for finding LPMCSes along with quality of information heuristics to ensure that LPMCSes are formed around high-quality information. We then propose an intelligent sensor model for integrating this information into the AgentSpeak framework which is responsible for applying evidence propagation to construct compatible information, for performing context-dependent combination and for deriving beliefs for revising an agent’s belief base. Finally, we present a power grid scenario inspired by a real-world case study to demonstrate our work.