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Match probability

Definition

The probability that a randomly selected person or object from the relevant population would produce evidence as similar as the crime-scene sample, given that they are not the true source. A low match probability increases the evidential weight of an observed match.

Related terms

Foundational validity
The requirement, articulated in the 2009 US National Academy of Sciences report and taken up by courts and reform bodies, that a...
Likelihood ratio (LR)
The ratio of two conditional probabilities: the probability of the observed evidence given the prosecution's hypothesis (same source), divided by the probability...
PCAST report
The 2016 report by the US President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that evaluated the foundational validity and validity as...
Rarity estimate
A numerical statement of how uncommon a particular feature combination is in a reference population. Derived from frequency databases or empirical studies....
Refractive index (RI)
A physical property of glass measuring how much light bends as it passes through. RI is the primary discriminating characteristic used in...

Explained in

  • Match Probabilities Beyond DNAThe probability that a randomly selected person or object from the relevant population would produce evidence as similar as the crime-scene sample, given that...

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