A definition of subjective possibility

: Based on the setting of exchangeable bets, this paper proposes a subjectivist view of numerical possibility theory. It relies on the assumption that when an agent constructs a probability measure by assigning prices to lotteries, this probability measure is actually induced by a belief function representing the agent's actual state of knowledge. We also assume that going from an underlying belief function to an elicited probability measure is achieved by means of the so-called pignistic transformation (mathematically equivalent to the Shapley value). We pose and solve the problem of finding the least informative belief function having a given pignistic probability. We prove that it is unique and consonant, thus induced by a possibility distribution. This result exploits a simple informational index, in agreement with partial orderings between belief functions, comparing their information content. The obtained possibility distribution is subjective in the same sense as in the sub...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: IJAR
• Authors: Didier Dubois, Henri Prade, Philippe Smets
• Keywords: Belief Functions, IJAR 2008, Numerical Possibility Theory, Probability Measure