Error analysis of the photometric redshift technique

ABSTRA C T We present a calculation of the systematic component of the error budget in the photometric redshift technique. We make use of it to describe a simple technique that allows the assignment of confidence limits to redshift measurements obtained through photometric methods. We show that our technique, through the calculation of a redshift probability function, gives complete information on the probable redshift of an object and its associated confidence intervals. This information can and must be used in the calculation of any observable quantity that makes use of the redshift.