Measurement Uncertainty An Approach via the Mathematical Theory of Evidence [Hardcover]

The expression of uncertainty in measurement poses a challenge since it involves physical, mathematical, and philosophical issues. This problem is intensified by the limitations of the probabilistic approach used by the current standard (the GUM Instrumentation Standard). This text presents an alternative approach. It makes full use of the mathematical theory of evidence to express the uncertainty in measurements. Coverage provides an overview of the current standard, then pinpoints and constructively resolves its limitations. Numerous examples throughout help explain the books unique approach.

This book presents an alternative approach and companion to the GUM Instrumentation Standard. Coverage provides an overview of the current standard, then pinpoints and constructively resolves its limitations.

It is widely recognized, by the scienti?c and technical community that m- surements are the bridge between the empiric world and that of the abstract concepts and knowledge. In fact, measurements provide us the quantitative knowledge about things and phenomena. It is also widely recognized that the measurement result is capable of p- viding only incomplete information about the actual value of the measurand, that is, the quantity being measured. Therefore, a measurement result - comes useful, in any practicalsituation, only if a way is de?ned for estimating how incomplete is this information. The more recentdevelopment of measurement science has identi?ed in the uncertainty concept the most suitable way to quantify how incomplete is the information provided by a measurement result. However, the problem of how torepresentameasurementresulttogetherwithitsuncertaintyandpropagate measurementuncertaintyisstillanopentopicinthe?eldofmetrology,despite many contributions that have been published in the literature over the years. Many problems are in fact still unsolved, starting from the identi?cation of the best mathematical approach for replós