Parametric regression analysis of imprecise and uncertain data in the fuzzy belief function framework

In this paper, parametric regression analyses including both linear and nonlinear regressions are investigated in the case of imprecise and uncertain data, represented by a fuzzy belief function. The parameters in both the linear and nonlinear regression models are estimated using the fuzzy evidential EM algorithm, a straightforward fuzzy version of the evidential EM algorithm. The nonlinear regression model is derived by introducing a kernel function into the proposed linear regression model. An unreliable sensor experiment is designed to evaluate the performance of the proposed linear and nonlinear parametric regression methods, called parametric evidential regression (PEVREG) models. The experimental results demonstrate the high prediction accuracy of the PEVREG models in regressions with crisp inputs and a fuzzy belief function as output. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.