  Many powerful data detection algorithms employed in multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems, such as sphere decoding (SD) and
lattice-reduction (LR)-aided detection, were initially designed for infinite
lattices. Detection in MIMO systems is, however, based on finite lattices. In
this paper, we systematically study the consequences of finite lattice-size for
the performance and complexity of MIMO detection algorithms formulated for
infinite lattices. Specifically, we find, considering performance and
complexity, that LR does not seem to offer advantages when used in conjunction
with SD.
