Pignistic Belief Transform: A New Method of Conflict Measurement

Abstract

To measure conflict between two basic probability assignment functions plays the key role of conflict management in Dempster-shafer evidence theory. In this paper, a new conflict measure is proposed. First, the classical pignistic probability transform (PPT) is generalized as pignistic belief transform (PBT). One of the advantages of PBT is that it can assign belief to multiple sets. When the belief is assigned to single element, the proposed PBT is degenerated as classical PPT. Then, the betting distance of two pignistic belief transforms is proposed, which can be used as a new conflict degree of BPAs. Finally, a numerical example is illustrated to show the use of the proposed method to combine conflicting evidence.

Keywords

• Dempster-Shafer evidence theory
• belief function
• conflict
• pignistic belief transform