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Reed–Muller code

Reed–Muller code is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Reed–Muller code rather than just read about it. In short: Reed–Muller codes are error-correcting codes that are used in wireless communications applications, particularly in deep-space communication. In cryptography, duplicated Reed–Muller codes are concatenated with shortened Reed–Solomon codes in the Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) key encapsulation mechanism selected by NIST for standardization as an alternative quantum-resistant algorithm.

Key takeaways

  • Reed–Muller code belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Reed–Muller code to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Reed–Muller code from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Reed–Muller codes are error-correcting codes that are used in wireless communications applications, particularly in deep-space communication. In cryptography, duplicated Reed–Muller codes are concatenated with shortened Reed–Solomon codes in the Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) key encapsulation mechanism selected by NIST for standardization as an alternative quantum-resistant algorithm. Moreover, the proposed 5G standard relies on the closely related polar codes for error correction in the control channel. Due to their favorable theoretical and mathematical properties, Reed–Muller codes have also been extensively studied in theoretical computer science. For example, they have been shown to asymptotically achieve Shannon capacity on symmetric memoryless channels. Reed–Muller codes generalize the Reed–Solomon codes and the Walsh–Hadamard code. Reed–Muller codes are linear block codes that are locally testable, locally decodable, and list decodable. These properties make them particularly useful in the design of probabilistically checkable proofs. Traditional Reed–Muller codes are binary codes, which means that messages and codewords are binary strings. When r and m are integers with 0 ≤ r ≤ m, the Reed–Muller code with parameters r and m is denoted as RM(r, m). When asked to encode a message consisting of k bits, where k = ∑ i = 0 r ( m i ) {\displaystyle \textstyle k=\sum _{i=0}^{r}{\binom {m}{i}}} holds, the RM(r, m) code produces a codeword consisting of 2m bits. Reed–Muller codes are named after David E. Muller, who discovered the codes in 1954, and Irving S. Reed, who proposed the first efficient decoding algorithm.

Description using low-degree polynomials Reed–Muller codes can be described in several different (but ultimately equivalent) ways. The description that is based on low-degree polynomials is quite elegant and particularly suited for their application as locally testable codes and locally decodable codes.

Encoder A block code can have one or more encoding functions C : { 0 , 1 } k → { 0 , 1 } n {\textstyle C:\{0,1\}^{k}\to \{0,1\}^{n}} that map messages x ∈ { 0 , 1 } k {\textstyle x\in \{0,1\}^{k}} to codewords C ( x ) ∈ { 0 , 1 } n {\textstyle C(x)\in \{0,1\}^{n}} . The Reed–Muller code RM(r, m) has message length k = ∑ i = 0 r ( m i ) {\displaystyle \textstyle k=\sum _{i=0}^{r}{\binom {m}{i}}} and block length n = 2 m {\displaystyle \textstyle n=2^{m}} . One way to define an encoding for this code is based on the evaluation of multilinear polynomials with m variables and total degree at most r. Every multilinear polynomial over the finite field with two elements can be written as follows:

p c ( Z 1 , … , Z m ) = ∑ S ⊆ { 1 , … , m } | S | ≤ r c S ⋅ ∏ i ∈ S Z i . {\displaystyle p_{c}(Z_{1},\dots ,Z_{m})=\sum _{\underset {|S|\leq r}{S\subseteq \{1,\dots ,m\}}}c_{S}\cdot \prod _{i\in S}Z_{i}\,.}

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Reed–Muller code

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Reed–Muller code claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Reed–Muller code before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Reed–Muller code ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Reed–Muller code

In research
Reed–Muller code appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Reed–Muller code in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Reed–Muller code is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Coding theory, Error detection and correction, Theoretical computer science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Reed–Muller code outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Reed–Muller code in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Reed–Muller code means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Reed–Muller code out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reed–Muller code in simple terms?

Reed–Muller codes are error-correcting codes that are used in wireless communications applications, particularly in deep-space communication. In cryptography, duplicated Reed–Muller codes are concatenated with shortened Reed–Solomon codes in the Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) key encapsulation mechanis…

Why does Reed–Muller code matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Reed–Muller code?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Reed–Muller code.

Tags

  • Coding theory
  • Error detection and correction
  • Theoretical computer science

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