Proxy and data provenance review
Examine proxies and data provenance
The evaluated population
The cohort contains 27,500 evaluated applications, of which 2,062 have the defined synthetic outcome: Synthetic credit-performance outcome. The outcome is known by construction here. In production, label uncertainty and selection must be recorded separately.
Figure data and text version
| Outcome | Count |
|---|---|
| Synthetic credit-performance outcome | 2,062 |
| Other labeled outcomes | 25,438 |
A feature can carry information about a prohibited basis or reflect unequal data coverage even when its label looks neutral. The source and use both matter.
The reference case starts with the stated population and a functioning evidence path. The owner is risk operations.
All amounts, rates, capacity limits, and outcomes in this case are synthetic. The three conditions are separate assumptions for comparison. A better result in the response condition is not measured proof that the proposed control causes that improvement. The figures expose the calculation and its limits; a real deployment needs its own evidence.
Read the result
The rule flags 2,032 of 27,500 evaluated applications. Of those flags, 1,650 meet the synthetic target, giving 81.2% precision. It misses 412 target events. Under the stated cost assumptions, residual loss and operating friction total $742,950. The important result is the connection between the population, action, capacity, and outcome—not one isolated score.
Model inputs and calculated values
Inputs below are the case-specific values. Each figure states the condition-specific assumptions and units used in its calculation. Calculated values are rounded for display.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| population | 27,500 |
| prevalence | 0.075 |
| severity | 1,700 |
| reviewCost | 20 |
| Calculated value | Result |
|---|---|
| population | 27,500 |
| positive | 2,062 |
| negative | 25,438 |
| tp | 1,650 |
| fp | 382 |
| fn | 412 |
| tn | 25,056 |
| loss | 700,400 |
| severity | 1,700 |
| precision | 81.2 |
| recall | 80.02 |
Four outcomes of the rule
The rule flags 1,650 synthetic positives and 382 negatives. It misses 412 positives. A flagged item is a decision to intervene; it is not proof of fraud, a legal prohibition, or any other real-world conclusion.
Figure data and text version
| Known outcome | Flagged | Not flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic credit-performance outcome | 1,650 | 412 |
| Other outcome | 382 | 25,056 |
Three rates with different denominators
Precision is 81.2%, recall is 80.02%, and the false-positive rate is 1.5%. Changing the denominator changes the meaning. This record keeps each numerator attached to the population from which it came.
Figure data and text version
| Metric | Numerator | Denominator | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision | 1,650 | 2,032 | 81.2% |
| Recall | 1,650 | 2,062 | 80.02% |
| False-positive rate | 382 | 25,438 | 1.5% |
Precision changes with prevalence
This sensitivity plot holds recall at 80% and false-positive rate at 1.5%, then changes prevalence. It is an algebraic comparison, not a forecast. Even unchanged detection quality can produce a very different review queue when the base rate changes. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.
Figure data and text version
| Assumed prevalence | Precision % |
|---|---|
| 0.1% | 5.07 |
| 0.5% | 21.14 |
| 1% | 35.01 |
| 2% | 52.12 |
| 5% | 73.73 |
| 10% | 85.56 |
The threshold trade-off
Six illustrative score bands use a stated pair of detection rates. Lower sensitivity can reduce false alarms but miss more target events. These points do not come from a trained model and do not establish the best operating threshold. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.
Figure data and text version
| Score band | True positives | False positives |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | 2,021 | 3,816 |
| Band 2 | 1,938 | 2,035 |
| Band 3 | 1,773 | 890 |
| Band 4 | 1,485 | 305 |
| Band 5 | 1,031 | 102 |
| Band 6 | 516 | 25 |
A transparent loss-and-friction calculation
At $1700 severity per missed synthetic positive, residual loss is $700,400. Review costs $40,640; lost contribution on false alarms is $1,910. The calculation assumes intervention prevents all flagged-positive loss and each false alarm loses the stated contribution. Relax those assumptions before applying it to a real policy.
Figure data and text version
| Cost component | USD |
|---|---|
| Missed-positive loss | 700,400 |
| Review cost | 40,640 |
| False-alarm contribution | 1,910 |
Observed outcomes mature over time
The final synthetic positive count is 2,062. Earlier observations reveal only a stated fraction. Comparing a day-1 cohort with a day-30 cohort would confuse label age with control quality. This curve models observation delay only; it does not change the final outcome. Horizontal positions are the labeled observations or scenarios; equal spacing does not imply equal numerical increments.
Figure data and text version
| Days after event | Observed positives |
|---|---|
| 1 | 371 |
| 3 | 722 |
| 7 | 1,237 |
| 14 | 1,691 |
| 30 | 2,062 |
Review demand and available capacity
The flag count is 2,032. The comparison capacity is an illustrative 1,100 reviews per cohort window. A mathematical rule can be coherent while its resulting workload exceeds the operating team’s capacity. Capacity is not permission to ignore an applicable mandatory control.
Figure data and text version
| Queue measure | Items |
|---|---|
| Flagged for review | 2,032 |
| Available capacity | 1,100 |
| Excess demand | 932 |
A feature is an observation with provenance
This evidence contract supports examine proxies and data provenance. A value needs its event time, arrival time, scope, and source. Keeping unavailable evidence distinct from a measured zero prevents an outage from becoming a falsely reassuring feature.
Figure data and text version
| Field | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| entity_ref | Proxy and data provenance review | Subject of this case |
| event_time | 2026-09-18T09:00:00Z | When the event occurred |
| received_time | 2026-09-18T09:00:02Z | When the system learned it |
| signal_status | available | Evidence quality, not an outcome |
| label_definition | Synthetic credit-performance outcome | The target used in these calculations |
Missing evidence changes the observed population
The cells show an explicitly constructed completeness profile for three signal groups. The stress condition removes more history and device evidence. Missingness does not prove the target outcome; it changes what the decision process knows.
Figure data and text version
| Signal group | Available | Missing |
|---|---|---|
| Identity evidence | 27,225 | 275 |
| Activity history | 26,950 | 550 |
| Context signal | 26,125 | 1,375 |
Evidence, score, and action remain separate
The policy can use examine proxies and data provenance only within its approved scope. The action record must retain which evidence was available, which model or rule ran, and which action was actually applied. The final action can differ from the score recommendation when a separate constraint applies.
Figure data and text version
| Stage | Record |
|---|---|
| Observe | Proxy and data provenance review: evidence as of the decision time |
| Evaluate | Rule flags 2,032 of 27,500 evaluated applications |
| Apply | Record action, reason, owner, and expiry |
| Reconcile | Join the action to later outcomes without overwriting history |
What the result cannot establish
Observed classifications do not reveal every counterfactual. The synthetic labels make arithmetic possible, but production decline data is selected by prior policy. Keep measured outcomes, assumed prevention, and unknown alternatives separate when reporting impact.
Figure data and text version
| Claim | Evidence in this case | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Detected target | 1650 known synthetic positives flagged | Production labels may be delayed or wrong |
| Prevented loss | Assumed 2,805,000 USD | Requires an intervention-effect assumption |
| Customer impact | 382 synthetic negatives flagged | Not every flag causes abandonment |
| Unobserved alternative | Outcome without the action | Needs a valid evaluation design |
Connect the result to the system
Review provenance, missingness, predictive purpose, and appropriate outcome comparisons.
Check the population, evidence, permitted action, and actual effect together. A balanced calculation can still use the wrong population; a successful response can still leave an unknown financial outcome. The case’s numerical result applies only to its stated assumptions.
Sources and further reading
The chapter sources support the concepts and scope. They do not prescribe the synthetic model rates.