Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods in Computer Graphics: The Global Illumination Problem

The main part of the global illumination problem of computer graphics is given by a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind, describing the light distribution in a closed environment. Calculating photorealistic images from that equation requires its kernel to be very complex and discontinuous. Due to this complexity Monte Carlo methods are an interesting tool for estimating a solution. In this article we investigate the application of deterministic quasi-Monte Carlo methods, as compared to pure Monte Carlo methods, for global illumination calculations in very complex environments and give numerical evidence for the superiority of the quasi-Monte Carlo methods.