This paper reviews recent results obtained in the medical diagnosis field by adding to a coherent inference process qualitative constraints. Such further considerations turn out to be significant whenever a basic lower-upper conditional probability assessment induces extension bounds too vague to take any decision. Three general types of qualitative judgements are proposed and fully described. They do not constitute a ``panacea" to solve any problematic situation, but their application can considerably improve inferences results in specific fields, as two practical applications show.
Keywords. Coherent inference, conditional exchangeability, qualitative constraints, diagnosis procedures
Authors addresses:
via Vanvitelli 1
06123 Perugia
Italy
E-mail addresses:
| Andrea Capotorti | capot@dipmat.unipg.it |