Kvantizace

Kvantizace is a Czech term that translates to quantization in English. It refers to the process of mapping a continuous range of values to a smaller, discrete set of values. This is a fundamental concept in digital signal processing and information theory.

In digital audio, for example, the amplitude of a sound wave, which is a continuous analog signal, is quantized. This means that instead of having an infinite number of possible amplitude values, the signal is represented by a finite number of discrete levels. The number of levels is determined by the bit depth of the digital representation. A higher bit depth results in more quantization levels and a more accurate representation of the original analog signal.

Quantization is also crucial in digital image processing. The color or intensity values of pixels, which can vary continuously, are quantized into a limited palette of colors or shades of gray. This process reduces the amount of data needed to store and transmit the image, but it can also lead to visual artifacts such as banding if the quantization is too coarse.

The error introduced by quantization is known as quantization error or quantization noise. This error is inherent in the digital conversion process and cannot be completely eliminated. Techniques like dithering are sometimes employed to distribute this error more evenly and make it less perceptible. Kvantizace is a core component in converting real-world analog signals into a digital format that can be processed, stored, and transmitted by computers.