Fidelity
605103
223291865
2008-07-03T12:42:40Z
Teotwin
7415407
Add discussion of fidelity related to modelling and simulation.
{{unreferenced|date=November 2007}}
{{otheruses}}
{{wiktionary}}
'''Fidelity''' is a notion that at its most abstract level implies a truthful connection to a source or sources. Its original meaning dealt with loyalty and attentiveness to one's [[duty]] to a [[lord]] or a [[monarch|king]], in a broader sense than the related concept of ''[[fealty]]''. Both derive from the [[Latin]] word ''fidelitas'', meaning "faithfulness."
In modern [[human]] [[Personal relationship|relationship]]s, the term can refer to sexual [[monogamy]]. In western culture this often means adherence to [[marriage]] vows, or of promises of exclusivity or monogamy, and an absence of [[adultery]]. However, some people do not equate fidelity in personal relationships with sexual or emotional monogamy. (For example, see [[polyamory]] and [[Open marriage]].)
Fidelity also denotes how accurate a copy is to its source. For example, a worn [[gramophone record]] will have a lower fidelity than one in good condition, and a recording made by a low budget record company in the early 20th century is likely to have significantly less audio fidelity than a good modern recording. In the 1950s, the terms "[[high fidelity]]" or "hi-fi" were popularized for equipment and recordings designed for more accurate [[sound reproduction]], while "[[lo-fi]]" music aims for "authenticity" over perfect production. Similarly in [[electronics]], fidelity refers to the correspondence of the output signal to the input signal, rather than sound.
In the fields of [[scientific modelling]] and [[simulation]], fidelity refers to the degree to which a model or simulation reproduces the state and behaviour of a real world object, feature or condition. Fidelity is therefore a measure of the realism of a model or simulation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sisostds.org/index.php?tg=fileman&idx=get&id=5&gr=Y&path=SISO+Products%2FSISO+Reference+Products&file=99S-SIW-167.doc|title=SISO-REF-002-1999: Fidelity Implementation Study Group Report}}</ref>. Simulation fidelity has also been described in the past as 'degree of similarity'<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Hays, R.]] |coauthors=[[Singer, M.]] |title=Simulation fidelity in training system design: Bridging the gap between reality and training |publisher=Springer-Verlag |year=1989|isbn=}}</ref>.
The computer age has spawned the term [[Wi-Fi]] in reference to certain groups of [[wireless]] electronic devices. While the term [[Wi-Fi]] has been popularly taken to be an abbreviation of 'wireless fidelity', [[Wi-Fi]] is in fact a commercial brand owned by the [[Wi-Fi Alliance]], and has little to do with fidelity as a concept.
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Virtues]]
[[Category:Ethical principles]]
[[de:Treue]]
[[nl:Trouw (ethiek)]]
[[pt:Fidelidade]]