Propagation of Nonlinear Phenomena in a Measurement Sequence

Measurements provide one with results, in the form of both quantitative estimates of measured quantity along with attributed quantitative probabilistic analysis. Measurement is prescribed precisely in order to enable researchers, experts or other measurers to obtain maximum confidence in its results. In that way, the probability of obtaining unpredicted or unwanted consequences is minimised. Yet, owing to a rather large number of degrees of freedom in a typical measurement sequence, its nonlinear character and nonlinear couplings, in general it is not known in what amount a variation in measurement conditions brings about significantly larger variations in measured quantities or its derivatives. In this article we treat in some details the aforementioned influence of variations and argue about possible results. In order to illustrate the treated influences we present results of a rather simple and common measurement of surface roughness of solid state objects. It is argued that there is no significant augmentation of variations in results of initial measurements throughout measurement sequence.