Investigating Coding Theory
Coding theory, also referred to as error detecting and correcting codes in binary or non-binary codes, is a field of mathematics and computer science. The research of efficient and reliable data transmission and storage methods on their properties is highly essential. These three things will be well known: error correction, error detection and data compression.
Codes are widely used for purposes like telecommunications, cryptography among others.
Types of Codes
There are two major types of codes namely error-detecting codes, error-correcting codes. When a message is transmitted through a channel the errors detecting codes work to detect the errors that may have occurred in the process. In this course there are three crucial tools such as parity checks; check sums and redundancy checks.
The error correcting code acts as forms of zero-error communication systems when messages pass through the noisy channel. The need for today’s modern era is that we do not make mistakes during communication.
Fundamentals of coding theory
There are four main concepts in coding theory such as: redundancy, hamming distance, hamming minimum distance and code rate.
Redundancy- it refers to addition extra bits into the data for error detection or correction in communication channel
Hamming Distance: The positions where the two code vectors differ determine the Hamming distance between them. This can be used to measure how error detection and error correction will perform in the code.
Minimum Distance: It is a number of non zero position in a code word. Code words values are used for determining error- detection and error-correction capability of codes.
Code Rate:The number of information bits divided by total number of bits (information bits plus redundancy bits).
Applications of Coding Theory
1. Image processing: To have some form of image with hidden data, you could use this idea.
2. Water marking: For securing data as it is being transmitted through a noisy channel also water marking uses coding theory.
3. Data storage and security: It’s commonly used for storing data for safety.
History of coding theory
Claude Shannon’s 1940s theory gave birth to Coding theory. The very first code was created by Hamming in 1950.s
Conclusion
The study proves that coding theory is an important field that enhances reliability and efficiency among data storage and transmission systems. It has found its application almost everywhere in today’s technology, but ongoing research is still looking on how reliable we can get these communication processes such as; identifying errors, correcting those errors or compressing information.
Authored By
Dr. Seema Thakran
Assistant Professor at Selection grade
Applied Science Department
The NorthCap University
Gurugram, Sector 23A