Evaluating the Performance of Multiple Classifier Systems: A Matrix Algebra Representation of Boolean Fusion Rules

摘要

Given a finite collection of classifiers one might wish to combine, or fuse, the classifiers in hopes that the multiple classifier system (MCS) will perform better than the individuals. One method of fusing classifiers is to combine their final decision using Boolean rules (e.g., a logical OR, AND, or a majority vote of the classifiers in the system). An established method for evaluating a classifier is measuring some aspect of its Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, which graphs the trade-off between the conditional probabilities of detection and false alarm. This work presents a unique method of estimating the performance of an MCS in which Boolean rules are used to combine individual decisions. The method requires performance data similar to the data available in the ROC curves for each of the individual declassifiers, and the method can be used to estimate the ROC curve for the entire system. A consequence of this result is that one can save time and money by effectively evaluating the performance of an MCS without performing experiments.