A Practical Introduction to Metropolis Light Transport

Most descriptions of Metropolis Light Transport (MLT) currently in the literature focus on theoretical completeness rather than readability. In fact, the core concepts of MLT are not difficult to understand, but available descriptions of these concepts tend to be steeped in statistical terminology and light transport jargon. In this paper, we take a different approach, concentrating on giving a working understanding of the algorithm rather than theoretical concerns. It is hoped that this work will help to uncover the simplicity of MLT, and serve as a tutorial for those wishing to implement the algorithm or understand its theoretical underpinnings.