Optimizing Polar Codes for Noisy Communication Systems: A Study on Code Rate and Error Correction Trade-Offs

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In this paper, we present an in-depth analysis of the performance of polar codes when applied to communication systems operating under additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) conditions. Polar codes, known for their capacity to achieve channel capacity with low decoding complexity, are evaluated in terms of their bit error rate (BER) and frame error rate (FER) performance. A key focus of the study is the investigation of different code rates, defined as 𝑅 = 𝐾/𝑁, where 𝐾 represents the number of information bits and 𝑁 is the total code length. By varying the code rates, we explore the trade-offs between coding efficiency and error correction performance, providing practical insights into how to optimize polar codes for use in noisy communication environments. The construction of polar codes in this study is based on the Bhattacharyya method, a well-established technique for designing reliable codes by leveraging the channel's error probabilities. This approach ensures that the most reliable bit channels are prioritized, thereby enhancing the error-correcting capability of the codes. Additionally, we employed a successive cancellation decoder (SCD), which is an efficient decoding algorithm specifically designed for polar codes. To make the Bhattacharyya algorithm more comprehensible, we present its workflow in the form of a detailed flowchart, highlighting each step in the code construction process. Through extensive simulations, we evaluated the BER and FER for various code rates and block lengths. Our results reveal that the performance of polar codes improves significantly with an increase in block size N. This observation highlights the critical role of redundancy bits, which contribute to better protection of the transmitted signal against noise-induced errors. At the same time, our findings demonstrate the inherent trade-off, as higher redundancy implies a lower information rate. This paper emphasizes the importance of optimizing polar code parameters to achieve a balance between efficiency and robustness, making them highly suitable for practical applications in modern communication systems. This study provides valuable guidance for researchers and engineers working on enhancing error correction techniques in noisy channels.