Monte Carlo Ray Tracing

Path tracing is a method of rendering images in computer graphics that accurately simulates global illumination. It can produce realistic still images by integrating illuminance over each pixel and considering surface reflectance. Path tracing naturally includes effects like soft shadows and motion blur, making it simpler to implement compared to other methods. However, it is relatively inefficient and requires tracing a large number of rays for high-quality images, leading to the development of more efficient variants such as bidirectional path tracing and Metropolis light transport.