In
electromagnetics, an antenna's
power gain or simply
gain is a key performance number which combines the
antenna's
directivity and electrical
efficiency. As a transmitting antenna, the gain describes how well the antenna converts input power into
radio waves headed in a specified direction. As a receiving antenna, the gain describes how well the antenna converts radio waves arriving from a specified direction into electrical power. When no direction is specified, "gain" is understood to refer to the peak value of the gain. A plot of the gain as a function of direction is called the
radiation pattern.