Information theory, saving bits
de William Sacco, Wayne Copes, Clifford Sloyer, Robert Stark
By the year 2000, more than 40% of the work force will be involved in the collection, management, and dissemination of information. Efficient storage of this information and accurate and efficient transmission are important and relatively new problems for our society. This module introduces information theory, the mathematical treatment of problems that arise in the storage and transmission of encoded information in binary form. The applications, transmission of data from LANDSAT satellites and error correction in compact disc systems, will intrigue students and teacher alike. And a biographical sketch of Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, gives some perspective on the development of the subject. The module begins by presenting some simple binary codes used for transmitting data. Techniques such as block coding and Huffman coding are explored for their usefulness in attaining the least cost for a given code, as determined by Shannon's Theorem. In the process, students read and produce tables, perform operations with decimals, and apply probabilities of independent events. Additionally, there are opportunities to use base 2 logarithms, evaluate formulas the involve e and absolute value, and express numbers using powers of ten. Binary numbers play a key role in several sections of the module with octal numbers also being mentioned. Computer utilities and suggested projects are also included. Information theory is concerned not only with sending a message quickly and storing it efficiently, but also with controlling errors to assure reliable reproduction of data. The second half of the module explains various types of error-detecting and -correcting codes such as parity checks, K-redundant codes, Hamming codes, and burst-error-correcting codes. Working with these codes requires students to follow procedures carefully and helps emphasize the need for error control. -- from back cover.
