The characteristic matrix of a colour detection system

Colour detection systems can be specified in terms of a set of spectral fun ctions (colour-matching functions in the case of human observers). By takin g these functions into account we define the characteristic matrix associat ed with a given colour detection system. This definition provides a new way to evaluate the differences and similarities between the colorimetric beha viour of two colour detection systems. We have applied this formalism to th e case of a set of colour-matching functions associated with human observer s. The differences between the diagonal terms, t(ii), of the characteristic matrices associated with a given couple of observers provides us with info rmation about the differences between their corresponding ith matching func tions. The distance between two characteristic matrices, defined in terms o f the norm, is a measure of the global difference between the colorimetric behaviour of the corresponding couple of associated observers. It seems to the authors that the characteristic matrix could play an important role in the characterization and design of colour detection and colour reproduction systems.