
408 Chapter Ten—Performance Metrics
Caution should be observed when interpreting ROC curves. For example, it is
possible for two ROC curves with the same area to intersect (one will have higher
values on the left side of the plot, the other on the right). One will thus exhibit better
performance with respect to false positives, the other with respect to false negatives.
Depending on the relative importance (or cost) associated with each of these error
types, one or the other curve will represent the more desirable system.
Also, it is important that a sufficient number of cases be analyzed so that the true
positive and false positive ratios represent ...