Según la wikipedia...
This is the key academic/theoretical concept in rendering. It serves as the most abstract formal expression of the non-perceptual aspect of rendering. All more complete algorithms can be seen as solutions to particular formulations of this equation.
L_o(x, \vec w) = L_e(x, \vec w) + \int_\Omega f_r(x, \vec w', \vec w) L_i(x, \vec w') (\vec w' \cdot \vec n) d\vec w'
Meaning: at a particular position and direction, the outgoing light (Lo) is the sum of the emitted light (Le) and the reflected light. The reflected light being the sum of the incoming light (Li) from all directions, multiplied by the surface reflection and incoming angle. By connecting outward light to inward light, via an interaction point, this equation stands for the whole 'light transport' — all the movement of light — in a scene.
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