Estimating Error Probabilities

In this part, we consider a practical problem from coding theory and communications. What is the error probability when a digital message is transmitted over a communications channel? The answer builds on two pieces of fundamental theory. From probability theory we need binomial distributions, and from statistics, we need estimation techniques.

All the classroom sessions revolve around one concrete example, with a specific code and a specific channel. We illuminate this problem using both statistical analysis, probability theory, and simulation. After you have seen the theory in practice, we hope you will find it relatively easy to learn further details from textbooks and video.

Period

Week 4-5: 19 January - 4 February

Exercises and learning methods

The classroom sessions will focus on the exercises as posted under each session in the table below.

At the end of the two-week period, you will need to submit the mandatory coursework. You will be able to reuse much of the material from the session exercises.

You will have to manage your own time and progress, using the available material, including video lectures, exercise sheets, textbook, google, classroom help etc. as best you can, to suit your preferred learning style.

Mandatory Coursework

Mandatory coursework is due Monday 2 February 8:15 am 2015.

Handouts

1. m-files for the Hamming code: encoder, decoder (These are quick and dirty implementations of a simple code with simple decoder.)
2. m-files for the [31,11] BCH code: encoder, decoder (These use the comm's toolbox, and are merely wrappers using specific code parameters.)
3. Assignment for the mandatory coursework.
4. Additional exercises This is the complete exercises for this part 2014, and it includes more exercises than the session-wise exercise sheets of this year.