alias

Definition: (1) Literally a representation or 'stand-in' for the original continuously varying signal or object e.g. a line, a sound etc. that is the product of sampling and measuring the signal to convert it into a digital form. * Commonly used to refer to visible defects of sampling e.g. stair-stepping, jaggies or stepped gradations that occur when the sampling frequency is not sufficient to preserve the detail. (2) In Mac OS, a file icon that duplicates the original. Used to open application programs, files or folders etc. as can be placed anywhere convenient.

Related Terms: anti-aliasing

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