Coding Theorems of Information Theory

Book excerpt: The imminent exhaustion of the first printing of this monograph and the kind willingness of the publishers have presented me with the opportunity to correct a few minor misprints and to make a number of additions to the first edition. Some of these additions are in the form of remarks scattered throughout the monograph. The principal additions are Chapter 11, most of Section 6. 6 (inc1uding Theorem 6. 6. 2), Sections 6. 7, 7. 7, and 4. 9. It has been impossible to inc1ude all the novel and inter esting results which have appeared in the last three years. I hope to inc1ude these in a new edition or a new monograph, to be written in a few years when the main new currents of research are more clearly visible. There are now several instances where, in the first edition, only a weak converse was proved, and, in the present edition, the proof of a strong converse is given. Where the proof of the weaker theorem em ploys a method of general application and interest it has been retained and is given along with the proof of the stronger result. This is wholly in accord with the purpose of the present monograph, which is not only to prove the principal coding theorems but also, while doing so, to acquaint the reader with the most fruitful and interesting ideas and methods used in the theory. I am indebted to Dr.