Many wireless communications channels consist of multiple signal paths from the
transmitter to receiver. This multiplicity of paths leads to a phenomenon known
as multipath fading. The multiple paths are caused by the presence of objects in the
physical environment that, through the mechanisms of propagation, alter the path of
radiated energy. These objects are referred to as scatterers. In the past, researchers
often looked at ways to mitigate multipath scattering, such as in diversity systems.
Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) systems, on the other hand, use multipath
diversity to their advantage; a MIMO system has the ability to translate increased
spatial diversity into increased channel capacity.
