A nature node in a Bayes net represents some variable of interest. It may also appear in a decision net in which case it is a variable that cannot be directly controlled by the decision maker (i.e. it is determined by nature). If a nature node has a functional relationship with its parents, it is called a deterministic node, whereas if the relationship is probabilistic, it is called a chance node. The characteristic shape for a nature node is an ellipse, or a rectangle with rounded corners.

Home > P_nature