arXiv subjects

Antonia Wachter-Zeh

Publications and source records attributed to Antonia Wachter-Zeh.

126 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Vector Network Coding Based on Subspace Codes Outperforms Scalar Linear Network Coding

This paper considers vector network coding solutions based on rank-metric codes and subspace codes. The main result of this paper is that vector solutions can significantly reduce the required alphabet size compared to the optimal scalar linear solution for the same multicast network. The multicast networks considered in this paper have one source with $h$ messages, and the vector solution is over a field of size $q$ with vectors of length~$t$. For a given network, let the smallest field size for which the network has a scalar linear solution be $q_s$, then the gap in the alphabet size between the vector solution and the scalar linear solution is defined to be $q_s-q^t$. In this contribution, the achieved gap is $q^{(h-2)t^2/h + o(t)}$ for any $q \geq 2$ and any even $h \geq 4$. If $h \geq 5$ is odd, then the achieved gap of the alphabet size is $q^{(h-3)t^2/(h-1) + o(t)}$. Previously, only a gap of size size one had been shown for networks with a very large number of messages. These results imply the same gap of the alphabet size between the optimal scalar linear and some scalar nonlinear network coding solution for multicast networks. For three messages, we also show an advantage of vector network coding, while for two messages the problem remains open. Several networks are considered, all of them are generalizations and modifications of the well-known combination networks. The vector network codes that are used as solutions for those networks are based on subspace codes, particularly subspace codes obtained from rank-metric codes. Some of these codes form a new family of subspace codes, which poses a new research problem.

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arXiv2017

Duplication-Correcting Codes

In this work, we propose constructions that correct duplications of multiple consecutive symbols. These errors are known as tandem duplications, where a sequence of symbols is repeated; respectively as palindromic duplications, where a sequence is repeated in reversed order. We compare the redundancies of these constructions with code size upper bounds that are obtained from sphere packing arguments. Proving that an upper bound on the code cardinality for tandem deletions is also an upper bound for inserting tandem duplications, we derive the bounds based on this special tandem deletion error as this results in tighter bounds. Our upper bounds on the cardinality directly imply lower bounds on the redundancy which we compare with the redundancy of the best known construction correcting arbitrary burst insertions. Our results indicate that the correction of palindromic duplications requires more redundancy than the correction of tandem duplications and both significantly less than arbitrary burst insertions.

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arXiv2017

List Decoding of Insertions and Deletions

List decoding of insertions and deletions in the Levenshtein metric is considered. The Levenshtein distance between two sequences is the minimum number of insertions and deletions needed to turn one of the sequences into the other. In this paper, a Johnson-like upper bound on the maximum list size when list decoding in the Levenshtein metric is derived. This bound depends only on the length and minimum Levenshtein distance of the code, the length of the received word, and the alphabet size. It shows that polynomial-time list decoding beyond half the Levenshtein distance is possible for many parameters. Further, we also prove a lower bound on list decoding of deletions with with the well-known binary Varshamov-Tenengolts (VT) codes which shows that the maximum list size grows exponentially with the number of deletions. Finally, an efficient list decoding algorithm for two insertions/deletions with VT codes is given. This decoder can be modified to a polynomial-time list decoder of any constant number of insertions/deletions.

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arXiv2017

Fast Operations on Linearized Polynomials and their Applications in Coding Theory

This paper considers fast algorithms for operations on linearized polynomials. We propose a new multiplication algorithm for skew polynomials (a generalization of linearized polynomials) which has sub-quadratic complexity in the polynomial degree $s$, independent of the underlying field extension degree~$m$. We show that our multiplication algorithm is faster than all known ones when $s \leq m$. Using a result by Caruso and Le Borgne (2017), this immediately implies a sub-quadratic division algorithm for linearized polynomials for arbitrary polynomial degree $s$. Also, we propose algorithms with sub-quadratic complexity for the $q$-transform, multi-point evaluation, computing minimal subspace polynomials, and interpolation, whose implementations were at least quadratic before. Using the new fast algorithm for the $q$-transform, we show how matrix multiplication over a finite field can be implemented by multiplying linearized polynomials of degrees at most $s=m$ if an elliptic normal basis of extension degree $m$ exists, providing a lower bound on the cost of the latter problem. Finally, it is shown how the new fast operations on linearized polynomials lead to the first error and erasure decoding algorithm for Gabidulin codes with sub-quadratic complexity.

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arXiv2016

Timing Attack Resilient Decoding Algorithms for Physical Unclonable Functions

This paper deals with the application of list decoding of Reed--Solomon codes to a concatenated code for key reproduction using Physical Unclonable Functions. The resulting codes achieve a higher error-correction performance at the same code rate than known schemes in this scenario. We also show that their decoding algorithms can be protected from side-channel attacks on the runtime both by masking techniques and by directly modifying the algorithms to have constant runtime.

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arXiv2016

Some Gabidulin Codes cannot be List Decoded Efficiently at any Radius

Gabidulin codes can be seen as the rank-metric equivalent of Reed-Solomon codes. It was recently proven, using subspace polynomials, that Gabidulin codes cannot be list decoded beyond the so-called Johnson radius. In another result, cyclic subspace codes were constructed by inspecting the connection between subspaces and their subspace polynomials. In this paper, these subspace codes are used to prove two bounds on the list size in decoding certain Gabidulin codes. The first bound is an existential one, showing that exponentially-sized lists exist for codes with specific parameters. The second bound presents exponentially-sized lists explicitly, for a different set of parameters. Both bounds rule out the possibility of efficiently list decoding several families of Gabidulin codes for any radius beyond half the minimum distance. Such a result was known so far only for non-linear rank-metric codes, and not for Gabidulin codes. Using a standard operation called lifting, identical results also follow for an important class of constant dimension subspace codes.

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arXiv2016

Vector Network Coding Based on Subspace Codes Outperforms Scalar Linear Network Coding

This paper considers vector network coding based on rank-metric codes and subspace codes. Our main result is that vector network coding can significantly reduce the required field size compared to scalar linear network coding in the same multicast network. The achieved gap between the field size of scalar and vector network coding is in the order of $q^{(\ell-1)t^2/\ell}-q^t$, for any $q \geq 2$, where $t$ denotes the dimension of the vector solution, and the number of messages is $2 \ell$, ${\ell \geq 2}$. Previously, only a gap of constant size had been shown. This implies also the same gap between the field size in linear and non-linear scalar network coding for multicast networks. Similar results are given for any number of odd messages greater than two. The results are obtained by considering several multicast networks which are variations of the well-known combination network.

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arXiv2016

Codes Correcting a Burst of Deletions or Insertions

This paper studies codes that correct bursts of deletions. Namely, a code will be called a $b$-burst-deletion-correcting code if it can correct a deletion of any $b$ consecutive bits. While the lower bound on the redundancy of such codes was shown by Levenshtein to be asymptotically $\log(n)+b-1$, the redundancy of the best code construction by Cheng et al. is $b(\log (n/b+1))$. In this paper we close on this gap and provide codes with redundancy at most $\log(n) + (b-1)\log(\log(n)) +b -\log(b)$. We also derive a non-asymptotic upper bound on the size of $b$-burst-deletion-correcting codes and extend the burst deletion model to two more cases: 1) A deletion burst of at most $b$ consecutive bits and 2) A deletion burst of size at most $b$ (not necessarily consecutive). We extend our code construction for the first case and study the second case for $b=3,4$. The equivalent models for insertions are also studied and are shown to be equivalent to correcting the corresponding burst of deletions.

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arXiv2016

Sub-Quadratic Decoding of Gabidulin Codes

This paper shows how to decode errors and erasures with Gabidulin codes in sub-quadratic time in the code length, improving previous algorithms which had at least quadratic complexity. The complexity reduction is achieved by accelerating operations on linearized polynomials. In particular, we present fast algorithms for division, multi-point evaluation and interpolation of linearized polynomials and show how to efficiently compute minimal subspace polynomials.

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arXiv2015

Codes for Partially Stuck-at Memory Cells

In this work, we study a new model of defect memory cells, called partially stuck-at memory cells, which is motivated by the behavior of multi-level cells in non-volatile memories such as flash memories and phase change memories. If a cell can store the $q$ levels $0, 1, \dots, q-1$, we say that it is partially stuck-at level $s$, where $1 \leq s \leq q-1$, if it can only store values which are at least $s$. We follow the common setup where the encoder knows the positions and levels of the partially stuck-at cells whereas the decoder does not. Our main contribution in the paper is the study of codes for masking $u$ partially stuck-at cells. We first derive lower and upper bounds on the redundancy of such codes. The upper bounds are based on two trivial constructions. We then present three code constructions over an alphabet of size $q$, by first considering the case where the cells are partially stuck-at level $s=1$. The first construction works for $u<q$ and is asymptotically optimal if $u+1$ divides $q$. The second construction uses the reduced row Echelon form of matrices to generate codes for the case $u\geq q$, and the third construction solves the case of arbitrary $u$ by using codes which mask binary stuck-at cells. We then show how to generalize all constructions to arbitrary stuck levels. Furthermore, we study the dual defect model in which cells cannot reach higher levels, and show that codes for partially stuck-at cells can be used to mask this type of defects as well. Lastly, we analyze the capacity of the partially stuck-at memory channel and study how far our constructions are from the capacity.

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arXiv2015

Convolutional Codes in Rank Metric with Application to Random Network Coding

Random network coding recently attracts attention as a technique to disseminate information in a network. This paper considers a non-coherent multi-shot network, where the unknown and time-variant network is used several times. In order to create dependencies between the different shots, particular convolutional codes in rank metric are used. These codes are so-called (partial) unit memory ((P)UM) codes, i.e., convolutional codes with memory one. First, distance measures for convolutional codes in rank metric are shown and two constructions of (P)UM codes in rank metric based on the generator matrices of maximum rank distance codes are presented. Second, an efficient error-erasure decoding algorithm for these codes is presented. Its guaranteed decoding radius is derived and its complexity is bounded. Finally, it is shown how to apply these codes for error correction in random linear and affine network coding.

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arXiv2014

Efficient Interpolation-Based Decoding of Interleaved Subspace and Gabidulin Codes

An interpolation-based decoding scheme for interleaved subspace codes is presented. The scheme can be used as a (not necessarily polynomial-time) list decoder as well as a probabilistic unique decoder. Both interpretations allow to decode interleaved subspace codes beyond half the minimum subspace distance. Further, an efficient interpolation procedure for the required linearized multivariate polynomials is presented and a computationally- and memory-efficient root-finding algorithm for the probabilistic unique decoder is proposed. These two efficient algorithms can also be applied for accelerating the decoding of interleaved Gabidulin codes.

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arXiv2014

Optimal Ferrers Diagram Rank-Metric Codes

Optimal rank-metric codes in Ferrers diagrams are considered. Such codes consist of matrices having zeros at certain fixed positions and can be used to construct good codes in the projective space. Four techniques and constructions of Ferrers diagram rank-metric codes are presented, each providing optimal codes for different diagrams and parameters.

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arXiv2014

List and Unique Error-Erasure Decoding of Interleaved Gabidulin Codes with Interpolation Techniques

A new interpolation-based decoding principle for interleaved Gabidulin codes is presented. The approach consists of two steps: First, a multi-variate linearized polynomial is constructed which interpolates the coefficients of the received word and second, the roots of this polynomial have to be found. Due to the specific structure of the interpolation polynomial, both steps (interpolation and root-finding) can be accomplished by solving a linear system of equations. This decoding principle can be applied as a list decoding algorithm (where the list size is not necessarily bounded polynomially) as well as an efficient probabilistic unique decoding algorithm. For the unique decoder, we show a connection to known unique decoding approaches and give an upper bound on the failure probability. Finally, we generalize our approach to incorporate not only errors, but also row and column erasures.

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arXiv2013

Bounds on List Decoding of Rank-Metric Codes

So far, there is no polynomial-time list decoding algorithm (beyond half the minimum distance) for Gabidulin codes. These codes can be seen as the rank-metric equivalent of Reed--Solomon codes. In this paper, we provide bounds on the list size of rank-metric codes in order to understand whether polynomial-time list decoding is possible or whether it works only with exponential time complexity. Three bounds on the list size are proven. The first one is a lower exponential bound for Gabidulin codes and shows that for these codes no polynomial-time list decoding beyond the Johnson radius exists. Second, an exponential upper bound is derived, which holds for any rank-metric code of length $n$ and minimum rank distance $d$. The third bound proves that there exists a rank-metric code over $\Fqm$ of length $n \leq m$ such that the list size is exponential in the length for any radius greater than half the minimum rank distance. This implies that there cannot exist a polynomial upper bound depending only on $n$ and $d$ similar to the Johnson bound in Hamming metric. All three rank-metric bounds reveal significant differences to bounds for codes in Hamming metric.

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arXiv2013

Generalizing Bounds on the Minimum Distance of Cyclic Codes Using Cyclic Product Codes

Two generalizations of the Hartmann--Tzeng (HT) bound on the minimum distance of q-ary cyclic codes are proposed. The first one is proven by embedding the given cyclic code into a cyclic product code. Furthermore, we show that unique decoding up to this bound is always possible and outline a quadratic-time syndrome-based error decoding algorithm. The second bound is stronger and the proof is more involved. Our technique of embedding the code into a cyclic product code can be applied to other bounds, too and therefore generalizes them.

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arXiv2012

Bounds on List Decoding Gabidulin Codes

An open question about Gabidulin codes is whether polynomial-time list decoding beyond half the minimum distance is possible or not. In this contribution, we give a lower and an upper bound on the list size, i.e., the number of codewords in a ball around the received word. The lower bound shows that if the radius of this ball is greater than the Johnson radius, this list size can be exponential and hence, no polynomial-time list decoding is possible. The upper bound on the list size uses subspace properties.

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arXiv2012

Efficient Decoding of Partial Unit Memory Codes of Arbitrary Rate

Partial Unit Memory (PUM) codes are a special class of convolutional codes, which are often constructed by means of block codes. Decoding of PUM codes may take advantage of existing decoders for the block code. The Dettmar--Sorger algorithm is an efficient decoding algorithm for PUM codes, but allows only low code rates. The same restriction holds for several known PUM code constructions. In this paper, an arbitrary-rate construction, the analysis of its distance parameters and a generalized decoding algorithm for PUM codes of arbitrary rate are provided. The correctness of the algorithm is proven and it is shown that its complexity is cubic in the length.

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