Unfolding

Unfolding is the correcting of a measured result for experimental effects, such as inefficiencies and finite resolution of the detector. The aim of unfolding is to make comparison of the measured results to theoretical calculations and measurements of other experiments possible.

In a narrower sense, unfolding only refers to the correction for resolution effects, not inefficiency. This is also called deconvolution or unsmearing. In a wider sense, unfolding can be used to correct for physical effects besides the detector, such as hadronization effects. In this case, it effectively corrects to parton level rather than particle level, which may be ill-defined and must therefore be done with caution.

See also

• Folding, the opposite process