Data Compression
Techniques
By…
Sukanta behera
Reg. No. 07SBSCA048
Data Compression
Lossless data compression:
Store/Transmit big files using few bytes so
that the original files can be perfectly
retrieved. Example: zip.
Loosely data compression:
Store/Transmit big files using few bytes so
that the original files can be approximately
retrieved. Example: mp3.
Motivation: Save storage space and/or
bandwidth.
Definition of Codec
Let Σ be an alphabet and let S µ Σ*
be a set of possible messages.
A lossless codec (c,d) consists of
A coder c : S ! {0,1}*
A decoder d: {0,1}* ! Σ*
so that
8 x 2 S: d(c(x))=x
Remarks
It is necessary for c to be an injective map.
If we do not worry about efficiency, we don’t have
to specify d if we have specified c.
Terminology: Some times we just say “code”
rather than “codec”.
Terminology: The set c(S) is called the set of
code words of the codec. In examples to follow,
we often just state the set of code words.
Proposition
Let S = {0,1}n. Then, for any codec
(c,d) there is some x 2 S, so that |
c(x)| ¸ n.
“Compression is impossible”
Proposition
For any message x, there is a codec
(c,d) so that |c(x)|=1.
“The Encyclopedia Britannica can be
compressed to 1 bit”.
Remarks
We cannot compress all data. Thus, we must
concentrate on compressing “relevant” data.
It is trivial to compress data known in advance.
We should concentrate on compressing data about
which there is uncertainty.
We will use probability theory as a tool to model
uncertainty about relevant data.
Can random data be
compressed?
Suppose Σ = {0,1} and S = {0,1}2.
We know we cannot compress all data, but
can we do well on the average?
Let us assume the uniform distribution on
S and look at the expected length of the
code words.
Definition of prefix codes
A prefix code c is a code with the property that
for all different messages x and y, c(x) is not a
prefix of c(y).
Example: Fixed length codes (such as ascii).
Example: {0,11,10}
All codes in this course will be prefix codes.
Proposition
If c is a prefix code for S = Σ1 then cn
is a prefix code for S = Σn where
cn(x1 x2 .. xn) = c(x1)¢ c(x2) ….¢
c(xn)
Prefix codes and trees
Set of code words of a prefix code:
{0,11,10}.
0 1
0 1
Alternative view of prefix
codes
A prefix code is an assignment of the
messages of S to the leaves of a
rooted binary tree.
The codeword of a message x is
found by reading the labels on the
edges on the path from the root of the
tree to the leaf corresponding to x.
Binary trees and the interval
[0,1)
0 1
[0,1/2) 0 1
[1/2,3/4) [3/4,1)
0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1
Alternative view of prefix
codes
A prefix code is an assignment of the
messages of S to disjoint dyadic
intervals.
A dyadic interval is a real interval of
the form [ k 2- m, (k+1) 2- m ) with
k+1 · 2m. The corresponding code
word is the m-bit binary
representation of k.
Kraft-McMillan Inequality
Let m1, m2, … be the lengths of the
code words of a prefix code. Then, ∑ 2-
mi
· 1.
Let m1, m2, … be integers with ∑ 2- mi
· 1. Then there is prefix code c so that
{mi} are the lengths of the code words
of c.
Probability
A probability distribution p on S is a
map p: S ! [0,1] so that ∑x 2 S p(x) = 1.
A U-valued stochastic variable is a map
Y: S ! U.
If Y: S ! R is a stochastic variable, its
expected value E[Y] is ∑x 2 S p(x) Y(x).
Self-entropy
Given a probability distribution p on S, the self-entropy of
x 2 S is the defined as
H(x) = – log2 p(x).
The self-entropy of a message with probability 1 is 0 bits
The self-entropy of a message with probability 0 is +1.
The self-entropy of a message with probability ½ is 1 bit
We often measure entropy is unit “bits”
Entropy
Given a probability distribution p on S, its
entropy H[p] is defined as E[H], i.e.
H[p] = – ∑x 2 S p(x) log2 p(x).
For a stochastic variable X, its entropy H[X]
is the entropy of its underlying distribution:
H[X] = – ∑i Pr[X=i] log2 Pr[X=i]
Facts
The entropy of the uniform distribution on
{0,1}n is n bits. Any other distribution on
{0,1}n has strictly smaller entropy.
If X1 and X2 are independent stochastic
variables, then H(X1, X2) = H(X1) + H(X2).
For any function f, H(f(X)) · H(X).
Shannon’s theorem
Let S be a set of messages and let X be an S-
valued stochastic variable.
For all prefix codes c on S,
E[ |c(X)| ] ¸ H[X].
There is a prefix code c on S so that
E[ |c(X)| ] < H[X] + 1
In fact, for all x in S, |c(x)| < H[x] + 1.
