Aiming at the optimum path excluding characteristics and the full constellation searching characteristics of the K-best detection algorithm, an improved-performance K-best detection algorithm and several reduced-complexity K-best detection algorithms are proposed. The improved-performance K-best detection algorithm deploys minimum mean square error （MMSE） filtering of a channel matrix before QR decomposition. This algorithm can decrease the probability of excluding the optimum path and achieve better performance. The reducedcomplexity K-best detection algorithms utilize a sphere decoding method to reduce searching constellation points. Simulation results show that the improved performance K-best detection algorithm obtains a 1 dB performance gain compared to the K- best detection algorithm based on sorted QR decomposition （SQRD）. Performance loss occurs when K = 4 in reduced complexity K-best detection algorithms. When K = 8, the reduced complexity K-best detection algorithms require less computational effort compared with traditional K-best detection algorithms and achieve the same performance.
