S�minaire du 20 juin 05, Wojciech
Szpankowski, Department of Computer Science, Purdue
University.
Analytic Algorithmics, Combinatorics, and Information Theory
Analytic information theory aims at studying problems of information
theory using analytic techniques of computer science and combinatorics.
Following Hadamard's and Knuth's precept, we tackle these
problems by complex analysis methods such as generating functions,
Mellin transform, Fourier series, saddle point method, analytic
poissonization and depoissonization, and singularity analysis.
This approach lies at the crossroad of computer science and information theory.
In this talk, we concentrate on one facet
of information theory (i.e., source coding better known
as data compression), namely the redundancy rate problem and types.
The redundancy rate problem for a class of sources
is the determination of how far the actual code length exceeds
the optimal (ideal) code length. The method of types
is a powerful technique in information theory, large
deviations, and analysis of algorithms. It reduces calculations of
the probability of rare events to a combinatorial analysis. Two sequences
are of the same type if they have the same empirical distribution.
We shall argue that counting types can be accomplished efficiently
by enumerating Eulerian paths (Markov types) or binary trees with
a given path length (universal types). On the other hand, analysis
of the redundancy rate problem for memoryless and Markov sources leads us to
tree generating functions (e.g., arising in counting labeled rooted trees)
studied extensively in computer science.
Virginie Collette
Last modified: Mon May 23 18:32:54 CEST 2005