Fuzzy-defined entities: A key concept to strengthen forensic science foundations?

Area of Science:

• Forensic science
• Legal investigations
• Evidence analysis

Background:

• The Sydney Declaration defines forensic science as the study of traces for understanding events of public interest.
• Forensic science establishes relationships between entities (persons, objects, traces) and events with legal implications.
• Traditionally, uniqueness of entities has been a core principle in forensic science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the traditional assumption of absolute entity uniqueness in forensic science.
• To introduce the concept of "fuzzy entities" to formally incorporate uncertainty and imprecision.
• To propose a new principle, "fuzzy unicity," to replace Kirk's principle of individuality.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of entity characteristics and their variability.
• Introduction of the "fuzzy entity" concept to model inherent uncertainty.
• Revisiting and proposing an alternative to Kirk's principle of individuality.

Main Results:

• Demonstrates that entity uniqueness is illusory due to spatial, temporal, and observational variations.
• Defines "fuzzy entities" to formally represent essential uncertainty and imprecision.
• Proposes the "principle of fuzzy unicity" as a more accurate representation of reality in forensic science.

Conclusions:

• The concept of "fuzzy entities" offers a new perspective on forensic science principles.
• Replacing the principle of individuality with "fuzzy unicity" can strengthen forensic science foundations.
• This approach has the potential to harmonize various forensic science disciplines.