<s>
Mueller	B-Algorithm
calculus	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
matrix	O
method	O
for	O
manipulating	O
Stokes	O
vectors	O
,	O
which	O
represent	O
the	O
polarization	O
of	O
light	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
technique	O
,	O
the	O
effect	O
of	O
a	O
particular	O
optical	O
element	O
is	O
represented	O
by	O
a	O
Mueller	B-Algorithm
matrix	I-Algorithm
—	O
a	O
4×4	O
matrix	O
that	O
is	O
an	O
overlapping	O
generalization	O
of	O
the	O
Jones	O
matrix	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Disregarding	O
coherent	O
wave	O
superposition	O
,	O
any	O
fully	O
polarized	O
,	O
partially	O
polarized	O
,	O
or	O
unpolarized	O
state	O
of	O
light	O
can	O
be	O
represented	O
by	O
a	O
Stokes	O
vector	O
;	O
and	O
any	O
optical	O
element	O
can	O
be	O
represented	O
by	O
a	O
Mueller	B-Algorithm
matrix	I-Algorithm
(	O
M	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
disregard	O
for	O
coherence	O
,	O
light	O
which	O
is	O
unpolarized	O
or	O
partially	O
polarized	O
must	O
be	O
treated	O
using	O
the	O
Mueller	B-Algorithm
calculus	I-Algorithm
,	O
while	O
fully	O
polarized	O
light	O
can	O
be	O
treated	O
with	O
either	O
the	O
Mueller	B-Algorithm
calculus	I-Algorithm
or	O
the	O
simpler	O
Jones	O
calculus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
where	O
*	O
indicates	O
the	O
complex	B-Algorithm
conjugate	I-Algorithm
[sic],	O
[	O
A	O
is	O
:	O
]	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
Jones	O
matrix	O
has	O
eight	O
independent	O
parameters	O
[	O
two	O
Cartesian	O
or	O
polar	O
components	O
for	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
complex	O
values	O
in	O
the	O
2-by-2	O
matrix ]	O
,	O
the	O
absolute	O
phase	O
information	O
is	O
lost	O
in	O
the	O
[	O
equation	O
above ]	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
only	O
seven	O
independent	O
matrix	O
elements	O
for	O
a	O
Mueller	B-Algorithm
matrix	I-Algorithm
derived	O
from	O
a	O
Jones	O
matrix	O
.	O
</s>
