Dealing with a priori knowledge by fuzzy labels

The performances of two different estimators of a discriminant function of a statistical pattern recognizer are compared. One estimator is based on binary label values of the objects of the learning set (hard labels) and the other on continuous or multi-discrete label values in the interval [03] (fuzzy labels). By the latter estimator more detailed a priori knowledge of the contributing learning objects is used. In a discrete feature space, in which a multi-nomial distribution function has been assumed to exist, the expected classification error, based on fuzzy labels, can be more accurate than the one based on hard labels. Statistical pattern recognition Classification error A priori knowledge Fuzzy labels Discriminant function