ABSTRACT
The previous two chapters have addressed the motivation for undertaking performance analyses and the mechanics of Monte Carlo calculations. The output of a Monte Carlo model of imaging system performance consists of at least the distribution of image quality resulting from the use of the system under selected conditions. In addition, the distributions of other quantities may be provided, such as: (1) quality changes arising from individual attributes; (2) objective metrics associated with such attributes; and (3) parameters that aid in system diagnosis. Examples of the latter include exposure and camera settings such as aperture, shutter, and focus. Interpretation of the distributions of diagnostic system parameters by an engineer is usually straightforward, because the parameters primarily characterize how the system responds to various situations. In contrast, understanding the shapes of quality distributions may be quite difficult because of the number of contributing factors. In this chapter, we will focus on understanding, interpreting, and comparing distributions of overall image quality; however, many of the points raised also apply to distributions of quality attributes and their corresponding objective metrics.
