Small and Large-Sample Behavior of Two Detectors Against Envelope-Detected

The mean and median detectors are compared at both small- and large-(ARE)-sample sizes for use with envelope-detected data. For the Rayleigh distribution, the mean is the better detector for all sample sizes. However, for the noncoherent contaminated-normal distribution, the mean is the better small-sample detector, whereas the median is the better large-sample detector. Hence, the ARE cannot always be used to deduce the small-sample behavior of detectors.