The belief function induced by a basic probability assignment on a finite sample space isIt counts evidence committed entirely inside . If a random subset has probability distribution , then . This gives a concrete interpretation of the otherwise unusual summation over subsets.
For , , the singleton beliefs are and zero, although . The remaining mass is unresolved evidence, so additivity across the two singletons fails. A belief function is paired with the plausibility function , describing evidence compatible with .[ref]
Belief Functions: Introduction by Glenn Shafer. Sections 1–2, nonadditive belief and uncommitted evidence
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