Hale, P.
, Dienstfrey, A.
and Wang, C.
(2010),
Why are we concerned with large covariance matrices?, NIST, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=906016, internal:/nist,gov
(Accessed October 15, 2025)
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Why are we concerned with large covariance matrices?
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Abstract
In order to promote discussion, we outline the two different paradigms for propagating uncertainties from the various waveform measurement impairments to the waveform parameters. The first method propagates uncertainty from the impairments directly to a specific parameter without explicit reference to the waveform. The second propagates uncertainty from the impairments to the waveform and then, using hte chain rule of derivatives, propagates uncertainty from the waveform to the parameter. The later, more general, method can generate a covariance matrix for the waveform that is order NxN. For N large, the problem becomes numerically intractable and statistical inference based on classical arguments can fail for MCitation
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Keywords
covariance, metrology, uncertainty, waveform
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Created June 1, 2010, Updated April 12, 2019