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Possibility Theory in Information Fusion

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Data Fusion and Perception

Part of the book series: International Centre for Mechanical Sciences ((CISM,volume 431))

Abstract

Possibility theory and the body of aggregation operations from fuzzy set theory provide some tools to address the problem of merging information coming from several sources. Possibility theory is a representation framework that can model various kinds of information items: numbers, intervals, consonant random sets, special kind of probability families, as well as linguistic information, and uncertain formulae in logical settings. The possibilistic approach to fusion is general enough to encompass logical modes of combination (conjunctive and disjunctive) as well as fusion modes used in statistics. The choice of a fusion mode depends on assumptions on whether all sources are reliable or not, and can be based on conflict analysis. This general framework allows to import inconsistency handling methods, inherited from logic, into numerical fusion problems. Quantified, prioritized and weighted fusion rules are described, as well as fusion under a priori knowledge. It is shown that the possibilistic setting is compatible with the Bayesian approach to fusion, the main difference being the presupposed existence, or not, of prior knowledge. The approach applies to sensor fusion, aggregation of expert opinions as well as the merging of databases especially in case of poor, qualitative information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRIT-CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

    Didier Dubois & Henri Prade

Authors
  1. Didier Dubois
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  2. Henri Prade
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, Università di Udine, Via della Scienze, 206, I-33100, Udine, Italy

    Giacomo Della Riccia

  2. Inst. für Wirtschaftsinformatik, Freie Universität Berlin, Garystr. 21, D-14195, Berlin, Germany

    Hans-Joachim Lenz

  3. Institut für Informatik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106, Magdeburg, Germany

    Rudolf Kruse

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Dubois, D., Prade, H. (2001). Possibility Theory in Information Fusion. In: Della Riccia, G., Lenz, HJ., Kruse, R. (eds) Data Fusion and Perception. International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, vol 431. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2580-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2580-9_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83683-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-2580-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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