English

An Interval-Score ROC Curve for Assessment, Calibration and Ensembling of Probabilistic Forecasts

Methodology 2026-07-30 v1

Abstract

Probabilistic forecast evaluation is inherently multi-objective, yet existing proper scoring rules reduce predictive performance to a single scalar value, potentially obscuring the trade-off between forecast concentration and predictive accuracy. We introduce the Interval-Score Receiver Operating Characteristic (IS-ROC) Curve, a graphical framework that represents the complete family of interval forecasts generated by varying prediction tightness. We show that the IS-ROC Curve induced by the data generating process is Pareto optimal and convex, providing a geometric characterization of the optimal forecasting frontier. Building on these properties, we propose a geometry-based calibration procedure based on tangent optimization and convexification, together with an ensemble strategy that combines competing forecasters through convex hull construction. Finally, we provide a practical workflow and numerical examples illustrating forecast comparison, calibration, and ensemble construction within the proposed framework.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.28178,
  title  = {An Interval-Score ROC Curve for Assessment, Calibration and Ensembling of Probabilistic Forecasts},
  author = {Simone Milanesi and Marco Capelletti and Flavio Bobba and Giuseppe De Nicolao},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.28178},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

31 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables