Quantisation - definition

Quantisation is the process of converting continuous signal values into discrete values, mainly used in the field of digital information processing. It involves mapping an infinite set of possible values of an input signal into a finite set of digital representations, allowing data to be stored and analysed in digital systems. This process is an inherent step in analogue-to-digital conversion, following sampling of the signal.

In mathematical terms, quantisation involves rounding off the values of the signal samples to the nearest acceptable levels, resulting in a quantisation error - the difference between the actual signal and its digital representation. The magnitude of this error depends on the number of quantisation levels and therefore on the resolution of the converter and the recording format used. The greater the number of bits per sample, the higher the representation accuracy, but also the greater the memory and processing power required.

Others are quantisation in various fields of technology, including audio and image coding, communication systems and numerical modelling. In the context of signal processing, techniques to minimise quantisation distortion, such as dithering, are of particular importance to reduce subjectively perceived distortion. In engineering applications, quantisation represents a trade-off between mapping precision and system resource efficiency.

In modern algorithms artificial intelligence and computer graphics, this process is sometimes also used to reduce data dimensions or compress model parameters, which promotes their optimisation under conditions of limited computing power, as is the case in embedded devices.

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