On the precision of the isotropic Cavalieri design

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The isotropic Cavalieri design is based on a isotropically oriented set of parallel systematic sections a constant distance apart. Its advantage over the ordinary Cavalieri design is twofold - first, besides volume it allows the unbiased estimation of surface area, and second, the error variance predictor for the volume estimator is much simpler, involving only the surface area of the object, and the distance between sections. In an earlier paper, the two hemispheres of a rat brain were arranged perpendicular to each other before sectioning, aiming at reducing the error variance with respect to other arrangements (such as the aligned one) by exploiting an intuitively plausible antithetic effect. Because the total surface area of the objects is unchanged under any arrangements, however, the error variance predictor for the volume estimator does not depend on object shape, which looks intriguing. Using reconstructions of the mentioned hemispheres, we dilucidate the aparent paradox by means of automatic Monte Carlo replications of the relevant volume estimates under the antithetic and the aligned arrangements.