4 research outputs found
Information-Theoretic Measures for Objective Evaluation of Classifications
This work presents a systematic study of objective evaluations of abstaining
classifications using Information-Theoretic Measures (ITMs). First, we define
objective measures for which they do not depend on any free parameter. This
definition provides technical simplicity for examining "objectivity" or
"subjectivity" directly to classification evaluations. Second, we propose
twenty four normalized ITMs, derived from either mutual information,
divergence, or cross-entropy, for investigation. Contrary to conventional
performance measures that apply empirical formulas based on users' intuitions
or preferences, the ITMs are theoretically more sound for realizing objective
evaluations of classifications. We apply them to distinguish "error types" and
"reject types" in binary classifications without the need for input data of
cost terms. Third, to better understand and select the ITMs, we suggest three
desirable features for classification assessment measures, which appear more
crucial and appealing from the viewpoint of classification applications. Using
these features as "meta-measures", we can reveal the advantages and limitations
of ITMs from a higher level of evaluation knowledge. Numerical examples are
given to corroborate our claims and compare the differences among the proposed
measures. The best measure is selected in terms of the meta-measures, and its
specific properties regarding error types and reject types are analytically
derived.Comment: 25 Pages, 1 Figure, 10 Table
Measure-based classifier performance evaluation
The concept of measure functions for classifier performance is suggested. This concept provides an alternative way of selecting and evaluating learned classifiers, and it allows us to define the learning problem as a computational problem