Quantization (signal processing)

<p>Quantization, in mathematics and <a href="/facts/Digital_signal_processing/PEG7azr8">digital signal processing</a>, is the process of mapping input values from a large set (often a continuous set) to output values in a (countable) smaller set, often with a finite <a href="/facts/Number_of_elements/m6VPojwT">number of elements</a>.  <a href="/facts/Rounding/rCLYXN00">Rounding</a> and <a href="/facts/Truncation/8mEHh0qp">truncation</a> are typical examples of quantization processes.  Quantization is involved to some degree in nearly all digital signal processing, as the process of representing a signal in digital form ordinarily involves rounding.  Quantization also forms the core of essentially all <a href="/facts/Lossy_compression/jHW7DDv3">lossy compression</a> algorithms.
</p><p>The difference between an input value and its quantized value (such as <a href="/facts/Round-off_error/aF9N8X4I">round-off error</a>) is referred to as quantization error, noise or distortion.  A device or <a href="/facts/Algorithm_function/9vFJrg0A">algorithmic function</a> that performs quantization is called a quantizer.  An <a href="/facts/Analog-to-digital_converter/8YYNsMFg">analog-to-digital converter</a> is an example of a quantizer.
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Quantization (signal processing) open-in-new

Quantization (signal processing)