High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Gradient pattern analysis (GPA) is a geometric computing method for characterizing symmetry breaking of an ensemble of asymmetric vectors regularly distributed in a square lattice. Usually, the lattice of vectors represent the first-order gradient of a scalar field, here an M x M square amplitude matrix. An important property of the gradient representation is the following: A given M x M matrix where all amplitudes are different results in an M x M gradient lattice containing asymmetric vectors. As each vector can be characterized by its norm and phase, variations in the amplitudes can modify the respective gradient pattern.