On the initial cluster mass distribution inferred from synthesis models

In this contribution we examine the problem of inferring ages and initial cluster masses from synthesis models at the limit of low-mass clusters (Ma parts per thousand currency sign a few x10(4) M-aS (TM)). We show that it is not possible to apply directly synthesis models using standard methods to such clusters, since the basic hypothesis implicit in the models (a fixed proportionality between the number of stars in different evolutionary phases) is not fulfilled due to an insufficient number of stars for a reliable sampling of the stellar initial mass function. The consequence of this incomplete sampling is a non-Gaussian distribution of the mass-luminosity relation for clusters that share the same evolutionary conditions (age, metallicity and stellar initial mass distribution function). We review some tests, that can be performed before the start of the analysis, to estimate if the observed cluster can be analyzed with synthesis models following traditional procedures (like chi (2) minimization) or if it is necessary make use of synthesis models in a probabilistic framework. Finally, we show the implications of these results for estimating the low-mass tail in the initial cluster mass distribution function.