Universal code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:03, 23 January 2005

Revision as of 20:45, 26 February 2005

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a universal code maps the integers (representing messages) onto self-delimiting binary codewords.

Longer binary codewords are mapped to less probable messages.

(Self-delimiting codes are also called [[prefix-free code]] codess or "instantaneously decodable" codes).

Unlike other compression codes such as [[Huffman coding]] or [[fixed-length codescode]]s, universal codes do not require the receiver or the transmitter to know the maximum integer (number of potential messages) ahead of time.

Universal codes include: