Coding Theory (Dagstuhl Seminar 11461).

Abstract

This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 11461 ``Coding Theory''. A (channel) code is typically a set of vectors of the same length n over a finite alphabet \Sigma. By choosing a fixed codebook, binary strings of appropriate length are injectively mapped into the elements of the code. These elements are then transmitted over a communications channel which induces errors on the codeword. Depending on how well the original code is designed, and which algorithms are used, the result of this transmission and attempts to recover the original vector after transmission can be anywhere between disastrous to excellent. Coding theory is all about the design of excellent codes as a function of the communications channel, and the design of efficient algorithms for choosing the codebook vectors, and more importantly, for recovering the original vector after transmission. As such, successful design of codes requires knowledge and tools in a number of areas such as combinatorics, algorithms design, probability theory and complexity theory, to name a few. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together researchers in the field to discuss recent theoretical advances in algebraic coding, codes on graphs, and network coding, as well as new and emerging applications of coding methods to real-world problems.