So if we sample a signal, what we do is sample it at discrete locations, which gives us the digital representation of a signal.

Translating this to a "real-world" example, if I'm sampling a texture in my pixel shader, why do I need to use a reconstruction filter on the sampled signal to use this ? Isn't it enough to just sample it since we are in the world of the computer. Don't we just need a digital representation of the data ? If I sample a texture I can use e.g. a linear sampling function which coresponds to a triangle filter.

Does that mean that the signal is still discretely sampled but being reconstructed with a triangle filter ? The monitor is also outputting digital values, so why do we even need to reconstruct the continuous signal again ?

Also is it correct to think that we only need to reconstruct a signal when we want to resample it ?

I see....I guess what I'm having a problem with is making the connection between the theory and what's actually happening in the graphics pipeline.

So basically when I have my interpolated texture coordinates for an arbitary pixel e.g. float2(0.2f, 0.7f) that means that I have to reconstruct the signal with a filter to then resample at those coordinates, correct ?

To add to Brother Bob's explanation...this process is generally known as resampling. It's actually the same exact process that would happen if you resize an image in Photoshop. The basic steps go something like this:

1. You have some continuous signal

2. You discretely sample that signal

3. You use a reconstruction filter to re-create a continuous signal

4. You sample the reconstructed continuous signal at different sample points

The one thing to keep in mind is that steps #3 and #4 usually happen at the exact same time in computer graphics. You don't reconstruct the entire continuous signal, you just know where you want to re-sample and so you reconstruct the continuous signal at that exact sample point. This reconstruction then becomes the value you store in your new discrete representation.

Another question related to the same topic if I may...:

Seeing as rasterization is inherently a sampling task and the reason why geometric aliasing exists, does that mean that when using raytracing to compose a scene this form of aliasing does not exist ?