Naive Bayesian classifiers with extreme probability features

Abstract

Despite their popularity, naive Bayesian classifiers are not well suited for real-world applications involving extreme probability features. As will be demonstrated in this paper, methods used to forestall the inclusion of zero probability parameters in naive classifiers have quite counterintuitive effects. An elegant, principled solution for handling extreme probability events is available however, from coherent conditional probability theory. We will show how this theory can be integrated in standard naive Bayesian classifiers, and then present a computational framework that retains the classifiers’ efficiency in the presence of a limited number of extreme probability features.