Note on decipherability of three-word codes

The theory of uniquely decipherable (UD) codes has been widely developed in connection with automata theory, combinatorics on words, formal languages, and monoid theory. Recently, the concepts of multiset decipherable (MSD) and set decipherable (SD) codes were developed to handle some special proble...

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Main Authors: F. Blanchet-Sadri, T. Howell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2002-01-01
Series:International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011729
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author F. Blanchet-Sadri
T. Howell
author_facet F. Blanchet-Sadri
T. Howell
author_sort F. Blanchet-Sadri
collection DOAJ
description The theory of uniquely decipherable (UD) codes has been widely developed in connection with automata theory, combinatorics on words, formal languages, and monoid theory. Recently, the concepts of multiset decipherable (MSD) and set decipherable (SD) codes were developed to handle some special problems in the transmission of information. Unique decipherability is a vital requirement in a wide range of coding applications where distinct sequences of code words carry different information. However, in several applications, it is necessary or desirable to communicate a description of a sequence of events where the information of interest is the set of possible events, including multiplicity, but where the order of occurrences is irrelevant. Suitable codes for these communication purposes need not possess the UD property, but the weaker MSD property. In other applications, the information of interest may be the presence or absence of possible events. The SD property is adequate for such codes. Lempel (1986) showed that the UD and MSD properties coincide for two-word codes and conjectured that every three-word MSD code is a UD code. Guzmán (1995) showed that the UD, MSD, and SD properties coincide for two-word codes and conjectured that these properties coincide for three-word codes. In an earlier paper (2001), Blanchet-Sadri answered both conjectures positively for all three-word codes {c1,c2,c3} satisfying |c1|=|c2|≤|c3|. In this note, we answer both conjectures positively for other special three-word codes. Our procedures are based on techniques related to dominoes.
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spelling doaj-art-8a59875ec0224b88a6a28be14f6d20ed2025-08-20T02:09:18ZengWileyInternational Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences0161-17121687-04252002-01-0130849150410.1155/S0161171202011729Note on decipherability of three-word codesF. Blanchet-Sadri0T. Howell1Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of North Carolina, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USADepartment of Mathematical Sciences, University of North Carolina, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USAThe theory of uniquely decipherable (UD) codes has been widely developed in connection with automata theory, combinatorics on words, formal languages, and monoid theory. Recently, the concepts of multiset decipherable (MSD) and set decipherable (SD) codes were developed to handle some special problems in the transmission of information. Unique decipherability is a vital requirement in a wide range of coding applications where distinct sequences of code words carry different information. However, in several applications, it is necessary or desirable to communicate a description of a sequence of events where the information of interest is the set of possible events, including multiplicity, but where the order of occurrences is irrelevant. Suitable codes for these communication purposes need not possess the UD property, but the weaker MSD property. In other applications, the information of interest may be the presence or absence of possible events. The SD property is adequate for such codes. Lempel (1986) showed that the UD and MSD properties coincide for two-word codes and conjectured that every three-word MSD code is a UD code. Guzmán (1995) showed that the UD, MSD, and SD properties coincide for two-word codes and conjectured that these properties coincide for three-word codes. In an earlier paper (2001), Blanchet-Sadri answered both conjectures positively for all three-word codes {c1,c2,c3} satisfying |c1|=|c2|≤|c3|. In this note, we answer both conjectures positively for other special three-word codes. Our procedures are based on techniques related to dominoes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011729
spellingShingle F. Blanchet-Sadri
T. Howell
Note on decipherability of three-word codes
International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
title Note on decipherability of three-word codes
title_full Note on decipherability of three-word codes
title_fullStr Note on decipherability of three-word codes
title_full_unstemmed Note on decipherability of three-word codes
title_short Note on decipherability of three-word codes
title_sort note on decipherability of three word codes
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011729
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