Papers for

communication system designers

Papers whose findings have a practical use for this group, as judged from the abstract. Open a paper to read what it means in practice.

Communication complexity class UPPcc is not closed under intersection

UPP$^{\text{cc}}$ is Not Closed Under Intersection

Abstract: The sign rank of a ${\pm 1}$-valued matrix $A$ is the minimum rank of a real matrix that agrees with $A$ entrywise in sign. For every sufficiently large $d$, we give an explicit matrix $A$ with $2^{Θ(d^2)}$ rows and columns and sign rank $Θ(d)$ such that $A \land A$ has sign rank $2^{Θ(d)}$. Here, $A \land A$ is the communication matrix of the problem obtained by evaluating $A$ on disjoint inputs and taking the conjunction of the results. As the logarithm of sign rank characterizes unbounded-error communication complexity, this implies that the communication class $\mathsf{UPP}^{\mathsf{cc}}$ is not closed under intersection. The starting point for our lower bound is Forster's method, which relates the sign rank of a matrix to the average margin of representations of its rows and columns by points and halfspaces. We study a continuous analog for conjunctions of inner-product sign tests on the unit sphere. Rotational symmetry connects this problem to polynomial sign representations, yielding an exponentially small upper bound on the average margin. This bound holds even when sign constraints are relaxed near the sign tests' decision boundary, allowing us to transfer it to explicit finite sign matrices arising from intersections of integer halfspaces.

Tue 27 OctComputational Complexity
The gist
This paper studies a particular way to measure the complexity of communication problems represented by matrices of +1 and -1 values. The authors find an explicit example showing that when you combine two such problems with a logical AND (intersection), the complexity can grow much more than expected. This means a certain class of communication problems, called UPPcc, does not behave neatly when you take intersections of problems. They use mathematical tools linking geometric representations and polynomials to prove this.
Open → 2610.37634v1

Thermodynamic costs of message-passing decoding depend on hardware and input

Thermodynamic characterization of message-passing: Framework and initial study

Abstract: We study the thermodynamic efficiency of message-passing decoders using the mismatch cost framework. This framework quantifies the excess entropy generated when a system operates away from the thermodynamically optimal initial distribution. It provides a computable lower bound on irrecoverable energy loss. The decoder is modeled as a main decoding program with local message updates implemented as subroutines. Memory is treated as an external copying subsystem whose thermodynamic cost is excluded. Studying the $[7,4]$ Hamming code transmitted over a binary erasure channel, we show how the channel-induced initialization statistics and the step-wise evolution of the algorithmic state distribution during decoding determine the total mismatch cost. We further show that different thermodynamically optimal state distributions, representing different underlying physical implementations of the decoder, can produce different thermodynamic costs for identical decoding dynamics. Conditioning the input distribution on correctable and non-correctable erasure patterns further reveals distinct thermodynamic signatures. These results demonstrate that thermodynamic cost is jointly governed by decoding dynamics, input statistics, and hardware characteristics. This points to opportunities for thermodynamically-informed decoder design to realize energy-efficient physical implementations.

Mon 26 OctInformation Theory
The gist
Decoding messages in computers or communication systems uses energy, and some of this energy is wasted due to how the system starts up and processes information. The authors study how the way a decoder is built and the type of errors it faces affect this wasted energy. They use a mathematical approach to measure the minimum energy loss and show that different hardware designs can cause more or less waste even if the decoding works the same way. This work helps design decoders that use less energy by considering both their operation and physical layout.
Open → 2610.36348v1

Outage concept extended to source coding for non-ergodic data sources

Distortion-Rate Outage Probability for Non-ergodic Classes of Sources

Abstract: The concept of outage has been commonly used in the context of transmission rates over non-ergodic channels. For those channels, one channel state or realization may be encountered for the whole transmission duration of a codeword. In the dual setting of source coding and whenever source statistics are not ergodic, we define in this work the notion of outage; we discuss related properties, consider the special case of compact source classes and provide examples.

Fri 23 OctInformation Theory
The gist
Sometimes the data sources we want to compress or represent don’t behave the same way over time, which makes it hard to guarantee how well the compression will work. The authors introduce a way to think about "outage"—a situation where the compression might fail to meet a target quality—when the source data is not steady or predictable. They explore this idea specifically for certain types of source data classes and show examples to illustrate how it works.
Open → 2610.32549v1

Improving certificates to verify error detection in ldpc codes

Encoding-Sensitive Nullstellensatz Certificates for Syndrome Exclusion in LDPC Codes: Sharp Local Bounds and a Linear Separation

Abstract: Certifying that a parity-check matrix has no nonempty set of at most t variable nodes leaving at most b checks unsatisfied arises in minimum-distance and trapping-set analysis. Such absence is the infeasibility of a polynomial system, provable by an independently checkable Nullstellensatz certificate. The degree of these certificates depends strongly on how the two cardinality constraints are encoded, although the encodings have identical solutions. For a local encoding with inclusion-exclusion and cardinality obstructions, we construct explicit certificates of degree at most t + b + K + 1, with K logarithmic in the maximum check degree; this bound is independent of the block length and cannot be improved in general. For a standard counting encoding, a generalized planted-knapsack theorem, which pulls back a knapsack functional with an arbitrary target, gives lower bounds linear in the block length for cycle codes, regular codes of girth at least six near the feasibility boundary, array-based quasi-cyclic codes and minimum-distance certificates for arrays of circulant permutation matrices, where the local degree stays bounded. On array codes and regular codes of girth at least eight, planted column pairs extend these bounds to odd column weight with no unsatisfied checks. The planting argument is optimal among such pullbacks. All computed degrees and certificates are verified in exact rational arithmetic; bounds are distinguished from exact minimum degrees. Local certificates for quasi-cyclic matrices, including a lifted fifth-generation New Radio base graph, pass two independent verifiers.

Fri 23 OctInformation Theory
The gist
Checking whether certain errors can be detected in LDPC (low-density parity-check) codes is important for reliable data transmission. The paper studies mathematical certificates that prove no small error sets exist that go unnoticed. The authors show how encoding these checks differently changes the complexity of these certificates and provide explicit bounds for their complexity. They also present new optimal methods to separate correct from incorrect configurations in certain code types and verify their results with exact computations.
Open → 2610.32171v1

Deterministic methods improve Reed-Solomon error correction codes beyond limits

Deterministic Constructions of Reed-Solomon Codes Beyond the Johnson Bound

Abstract: We give a deterministic quasipolynomial-time construction of Reed-Solomon codes that are list-decodable beyond the Johnson radius. Specifically, for every $ε\in(0,1]$ and all sufficiently large $n$, we construct an $[n,k]$ Reed-Solomon code of rate $R=Ω(ε/(1+\log(1/ε)))$ over a field of size $(nk)^{quasi-poly(nk)}$ that is $(1-ε,O(1/ε))$ list-decodable. The construction runs in quasi-poly(nk) time. We also give a deterministic construction of $[n,k]$-MDS$(3)$ Reed-Solomon codes for all integers $1\leq k<n$, with the same asymptotic bounds on field size and construction time. In the constant-rate regime, our field-size bound substantially improves the bound of $O(n^{k^{2k}})$ achieved by Roth's construction (Roth, IEEE TIT 2022). Our constructions exploit a connection to polynomial identity testing for read-once determinants, together with the quasipolynomial isolating-weight construction of Gurjar and Thierauf for linear matroid intersection (Gurjar and Thierauf, STOC 2017 and Computational Complexity 2020).

Thu 22 OctComputational Complexity
The gist
Reed-Solomon codes are a way to detect and fix errors in data, like when files get corrupted. Usually, there is a known limit called the Johnson bound on how many errors these codes can fix efficiently. The authors found a way to build these codes deterministically (with a fixed method rather than randomness) so they can fix even more errors than before, while still being practical to construct. Their approach uses connections to other mathematical problems and runs in reasonable time for large data sizes.
Open → 2610.31922v1

Cheng-Murray conjecture solved for deep holes in Reed-Solomon codes

The Cheng-Murray Conjecture on Deep Holes of Full-Length Reed-Solomon Codes

Abstract: For full-length Reed--Solomon codes, every received word whose interpolation polynomial has degree equal to the code dimension is a deep hole. The Cheng--Murray conjecture asserts that these are the only deep holes in dimensions $3\le k\le q-2$, except when $q$ is even and $k=q-3$. Earlier results settled the conjecture over odd prime fields and in the high-dimensional range. We resolve the remaining cases $3\le k\le\lfloor q/2\rfloor$ over every finite field $\F_q$, thereby completing the classification in all nonexceptional dimensions. Our proof combines two complementary approaches. The tangent envelope of a marked arc yields differential constraints that settle the even-characteristic range $3\le k\le q/2$ and the odd-characteristic range $3\le k\le q/3$. In the remaining odd-characteristic range, local syndrome compatibility and combinatorial counting rule out additional deep holes.

Thu 22 OctInformation Theory
The gist
The paper deals with a question about Reed-Solomon codes, which are used to detect and fix errors in digital communication. It focuses on special problematic cases called deep holes. The Cheng-Murray conjecture predicted exactly which received words are deep holes in most cases, and previous work solved it for some fields and dimensions. The authors complete the proof for all remaining cases, using geometric and combinatorial methods.
Open → 2610.31531v1

Bitflat improves robustness of diffusion image compression against bit errors

BitFlat: Error-Localized Bitstream Design for Robust Diffusion Image Compression

Abstract: Zero-shot diffusion image compression based on reverse channel coding achieves high perceptual quality at low bitrates without retraining, yet its bitstream remains vulnerable to bit flips. Prior work has shown that a joint combinatorial representation can amplify a single bit flip into substitutions of multiple atoms and that indexing each atom independently confines this error propagation. However, independent indexing reduces the number of atoms that fit within the bit budget and gives the decoder no indication of which atoms are corrupted. To address these issues, we propose BitFlat, a training-free error-localizing bitstream framework with two components. Blockwise Locality Alignment (BLA) decomposes the globally coupled atom selection at each diffusion step into independent selection units, each describing one signed atom from a dedicated codebook with a fixed-width field, so that any bit error affects only the unit in which it occurs. Reliability-Aware Diffusion Control (RADC) uses the bits saved by BLA to impose structured valid-codeword constraints within each field and converts the decoding state of each field into a binary reliability gate, which turns detected corrupted atoms into erasures at known positions and excludes them from noise synthesis. BitFlat requires neither target residuals nor additional network forward passes and leaves the diffusion model unchanged. Experiments on Kodak, DIV2K, and CLIC2020 show that BitFlat outperforms conventional, learned, and diffusion-based codecs at bit error rates from $10^{-4}$ to $10^{-2}$ and, even with $26.7\%$ fewer bits, surpasses Robust Turbo-DDCM.

Mon 19 OctArtificial IntelligenceComputer Vision and Pattern Recognition
The gist
Compressing images with a type of AI called diffusion models can create high-quality pictures at very small file sizes, but even small errors during data transmission can mess up the image a lot. The authors designed BitFlat to help localize these errors so that one flipped bit only affects a small part of the image data, preventing the whole image from getting corrupted. Their method also detects and ignores the corrupted parts during image reconstruction, making the compressed image more reliable without needing to retrain any AI models. Tests showed BitFlat works better than existing methods, even when errors happen frequently or with fewer bits.
Open → 2610.25682v1

Capacity limits found for noisy unordered fragment channels

The Capacity of the Noisy Torn Paper Channel and the Noisy Shuffling Channel

Abstract: The torn paper channel breaks a codeword into fragments and returns all fragments without their original order. The noisy torn paper channel additionally introduces bit substitution errors to each fragment. Recovering the message therefore requires accounting for both bit errors and uncertainty about the fragment order. We establish a capacity upper bound for the noisy torn paper channel that matches the achievable rate of Ravi, Vahid, and Shomorony and resolves their conjecture. Our results also determine the capacity of the noisy shuffling channel of Shomorony and Heckel, in which all fragments have the same length, and resolve their open question.

Tue 13 OctInformation Theory
The gist
Sending a message broken into scrambled pieces is tricky when each piece may also have errors. The authors studied models where message parts are both shuffled and have bit errors. They found exact limits on how much information can be reliably sent in such noisy, unordered fragment channels. This settles previous open questions about how well communication over these channels works.
Open → 2610.19300v1

RPA decoding needs fewer projections for structured errors

RPA Decoding with Few Subspace Projections for Correcting Structured Error Patterns in RM Codes

Abstract: The Recursive Projection Aggregation (RPA) decoder for Reed-Muller codes uses, in its default implementation, all one-dimensional subspaces at each level of recursion. We restrict our attention to the case where the number of errors is $t<d_{\mathrm{min}}/2$. It is known that if the number of errors is $t<d_{\mathrm{min}}/2$, then $2t+1$ subspaces at each level of recursion are sufficient to correct these errors. We show that, for structured error patterns, the number of subspaces required for correction can be reduced further by appropriately selecting the subspaces used for projection. In particular, when errors occur as a single burst of length $t < d_{\mathrm{min}}/2$, three subspaces at each level of recursion suffice for correction. We obtain similar results for multiple bursts and other structured error patterns as well.

Mon 12 OctInformation Theory
The gist
Reed-Muller codes help fix mistakes in digital data, but decoding them can be slow because it looks at many parts. The authors found that when the errors follow a pattern, like a burst of mistakes in a row, the decoder can check fewer parts yet still fix all errors. This makes decoding potentially faster and more efficient for these special cases. Their work shows how picking which parts to check carefully can reduce the effort needed to correct data.
Open → 2610.16240v1

Approximate simulation of communication channels with refined accuracy

Fine asymptotics for approximate simulation of symmetric channels

Abstract: We study the approximate channel simulation problem in the normal approximation regime. Our starting point is the fact established by Cao et al.~\cite{Cao_channel_simulation}, that the minimal codebook size $M_ε^*(W)$ for a fixed error tolerance $ε>0$ is closely related to the $ε$-smooth channel max-information, $I_{\max}^ε(W)$. Using this, we refine earlier large-blocklength approximations to $M_ε^*(W^{\otimes n})$ for discrete memoryless channels. Specifically, we provide tight third-order expansions for Gallager-symmetric channels and demonstrate that the third-order term is channel-dependent. As in corresponding channel coding expansions, we identify a substantial rate gap between singular and nonsingular channels. Notably, the direction of this gap is reversed relative to channel coding: The third-order term is $-\frac{1}{2}\log n$ for singular channels but $O(\log\log n)$ for nonsingular channels.

Sun 11 OctInformation Theory
The gist
This paper looks at how well we can simulate communication channels with some allowed error and how big the codebook (set of codes) needs to be. The authors focus on a specific type of channel called Gallager-symmetric channels and improve previous estimates by adding finer detail called third-order terms. They find that the exact improvement depends on the channel type, with different behaviors for singular and nonsingular channels. Interestingly, the nature of this difference is reversed from what is known in channel coding.
Open → 2610.15877v1

Information bounds keep constant while preserving rounds in communication tasks

Constant-Loss Round-Preserving Direct Sums for Information Complexity

Abstract: Strong direct-sum theorems relate the information needed to solve many independent instances of a communication problem to the information needed for one instance. For Gap-Majority composition, an optimal information bound was previously known, but preserving the number of communication rounds incurred an additional logarithmic loss. We prove a round-preserving Gap-Majority lemma with constant additive information loss, independent of both the number of instances and the number of rounds. More generally, we establish a variance direct-sum theorem for additive square-integrable observables over product distributions. For protocols with a bounded number of terminal answer values, the extracted single-coordinate protocols preserve the round budget, and their average information cost is at most the original information cost divided by the number of coordinates, plus a term depending only on the answer alphabet and the allowed variance loss. The proof uses centered counterfactual conditional means and a global variance amortization argument. Rather than encoding absolute conditional means for every possible terminal answer, we encode the information not already determined by the common view. The total squared innovation is controlled by a telescoping variance potential, yielding an information loss independent of the number of coordinates. We also derive same-round mean-square estimation bounds for arbitrary terminal outputs.

Sun 11 OctComputational ComplexityInformation Theory
The gist
When solving many separate communication problems at once, it’s important to know how much information is needed overall compared to just one problem. The authors found a way to keep the number of back-and-forth messages (rounds) the same without increasing the amount of information lost, even if the number of problems grows. They introduced methods that carefully measure variance and information, allowing for more efficient communication with constant losses. This work helps understand how to split complex tasks into simpler parts without extra communication overhead.
Open → 2610.15377v1

Federated learning boosts language model training without sharing data

Fed-GRPO: Reward-Signal-Driven Federated Group Relative Policy Optimization

Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown strong reasoning capabilities when fine-tuned with reinforcement learning (RL), particularly through Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO). However, existing GRPO methods assume centralized access to training data, which may not hold in practice due to privacy or regulatory constraints. To this end, we propose Fed-GRPO, a federated GRPO training framework that addresses these privacy constraints by enabling collaborative reasoning training without sharing raw data, which leverages the reward statistics naturally produced during GRPO training as zero-cost signals to guide aggregation, local training, and communication. Fed-GRPO contains three reward-signal-driven mechanisms: (i) \emph{signal-weighted aggregation} that weights clients by their reward standard deviation, prioritizing clients with stronger learning signals; (ii) \emph{global reward calibration} that re-weights per-prompt objectives based on the local-global reward gap, steering each client toward its relative weaknesses; and (iii) \emph{adaptive sparse communication} that allocates bandwidth based on the informativeness of each client's update. Extensive experiments on mathematical reasoning tasks demonstrate that Fed-GRPO achieves the best performance among all federated methods, clearly outperforms FedAvg and approaches centralized training performance, while losslessly reducing communication by $32\times$ and supporting up to $621\times$ compression under tight bandwidth budgets with only graceful accuracy degradation. Our code is available at https://github.com/HKU-HealthAI/Fed-GRPO.

Thu 8 OctArtificial Intelligence
The gist
Training large AI language models often needs lots of shared data, which can break privacy rules. The authors propose Fed-GRPO, a way for many users to help train these models together without sharing their private data. Their method uses the feedback reward from training to decide how to combine learning from different users more efficiently. Experiments show their approach comes close to training with all data in one place while greatly reducing communication needs.
Open → 2610.11502v1

Information bottleneck solutions for stable variable relationships

On the Information Bottleneck for Stable Variables

Abstract: We consider a generalization of the Gaussian information bottleneck problem to jointly stable variables $X$ and $Y$. Specifically, for $X = Y + A$, where $A$ is stable and independent of $Y$, we find optimal stochastic linear encoders of the form $T = kX + N$, $N$ being stable and independent of $X$. We characterize the linear stable information bottleneck in closed-form and its critical value. Furthermore, we show that, except for the Gaussian case, such stochastic linear encoders are strictly suboptimal, however asymptotically optimal at large compression rate. Our linear solution recovers the Gaussian information bottleneck for jointly Gaussian variables.

Tue 6 OctInformation Theory
The gist
This paper studies a way to simplify information when two related data sources are connected with certain types of noise called stable noise. The authors found an exact way to encode this information using combinations of linear functions and stable noise, extending previous knowledge from the simpler Gaussian case. They also show that these encoding methods work best when compressing a lot of data but don't always reach the best possible performance otherwise. Their work generalizes well-known results and could help in understanding information compression beyond common assumptions.
Open → 2610.08007v1

Binary sources need fewer symbols for optimal information compression

On the Cardinality of Optimal Representations in the Binary-Source Information Bottleneck

Abstract: The information bottleneck (IB) seeks a representation $U$ of a source $X$ that retains as much information as possible about a target $Y$, subject to a constraint on $I(U;X)$. A classical argument shows that it suffices to consider representations with at most $|\mathcal{X}|+1$ symbols, and this bound is known to be tight whenever $|\mathcal{X}| \geq 3$. We show that the binary case behaves differently: if $X$ is binary and $Y$ is finite, then for every joint distribution of $(X,Y)$ and every rate constraint, the IB optimum is attained by a binary $U$. Hence the bound $|\mathcal{U}| \leq |\mathcal{X}|+1$ sharpens to $|\mathcal{U}| \leq |\mathcal{X}|$ for binary sources. The proof combines a separating hyperplane argument with the observation that, for a binary source, the ratio of the second derivatives of the two entropy functions involved is concave.

Mon 5 OctInformation TheoryMachine Learning
The gist
This paper looks at how we can best simplify information from one source while keeping important details about another. Usually, the best simplified form uses about one more category than the original source has. The authors found that when the original source only has two possible values, you don't need any extra categories at all. Their discovery shows that for simple yes/no sources, the best summary can be just two categories, making the problem easier to handle.
Open → 2610.06627v1

Joint distribution matching improves data rates in multiple communication channels

Divergence-Minimizing Distribution Matching for Parallel Channels and Channels with Memory

Abstract: Theory for distribution matchers (DMs) is extended to distributions with memory. The divergence-minimizing DM is shown to select the sequences with the highest target probability, as in the memoryless case. A scaling law for divergence is extended to distributions driven by innovation processes. The theory is applied to parallel additive white Gaussian noise channels. A modified enumerative sphere-shaping (ESS) method with a weighted energy constraint is used in implementations. An illustrative example with three channels shows that joint ESS across channels reduces the rate loss by a large factor compared to product DMs at short blocklengths. The gains are confirmed by simulations with probabilistic amplitude shaping and a 5G-NR low-density parity-check code.

Mon 28 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Sending information over several communication channels at once can be tricky because the channels have different properties. The paper explains a method to pick sequences of data that best fit the target distribution of these channels, even when the channels remember past data (have memory). Using a special shaped method across multiple channels at once helps reduce data rate losses, especially for short messages. The method was tested with simulations using real-world communication coding standards and showed clear benefits.
Open → 2609.34779v1

Bounds and algorithms for exploring time-changing directed networks

The directed temporal exploration problem

Abstract: We study the temporal exploration problem on temporal digraphs. We prove that a lifetime of $O(n^2)$ suffices to guarantee the existence of a temporal exploration on always-unilateral temporal digraphs. We complement this with a $Ω(n^2)$ lower bound, even in the case where each snapshot has maximum undirected degree 2; for always-strong temporal digraphs, the lower bound still holds even if the maximum undirected degree is 3. This stands in stark contrast with the undirected setting. For the large minimum degree setting, we show that a lifetime of $4n/3 - 1$ is sufficient and necessary for guaranteeing the existence of a temporal exploration on temporal digraphs where each snapshot is semicomplete. For always-strong temporal digraphs where each snapshot has minimum undirected degree at least $n - c - 1$, we prove that a lifetime of $O(cn)$ guarantees the existence of a temporal exploration, and we also prove that this is asymptotically tight. From a computational perspective, our results for temporal semicomplete digraphs also yield a polynomial-time, factor-$4/3$ algorithm for deciding if a temporal semicomplete digraph admits a temporal exploration within the first $\ell$ snapshots. We complement this showing that no polynomial-time, factor-$(4/3 - ε)$ approximation algorithm exists, even if every snapshot is a tournament, unless P$=$NP.

Mon 28 SeptData Structures and Algorithms
The gist
This paper studies how to explore networks where connections change over time and have directions. The authors find tight mathematical bounds on how long it takes to fully explore such networks under different connectivity conditions. They also provide an efficient algorithm to decide if exploration is possible within a given timeframe for certain types of networks. Additionally, they show that improving this decision process beyond a certain threshold is computationally very hard. These findings can help understand and work with time-dependent systems like communication or transportation networks.
Open → 2609.34339v1

Flaws found in a key proof about binary channel decoding limits

Diagnosing the Refuted Mismatched Decoding Converse for Binary-Input Channels

Abstract: We revisit the claimed converse theorem for mismatched decoding over binary-input discrete memoryless channels (Balakirsky, 1995) and the subsequent work refuting this converse via a numerical counter-example (Scarlett, Somekh-Baruch, Martinez, and Guillén i Fàbregas, 2015). A notable gap in the existing understanding is that no concrete flaw was identified in Balakirsky's analysis. In this paper, Balakirsky's proof is "diagnosed", and it is demonstrated that (i) his permutation lemma is flawed regardless of the correctness of his combinatorial approximation lemma; (ii) there are at least two specific incorrect steps regarding restricted codes and selector sequences, and these appear to be unlikely to admit a local repair; and (iii) the proposition in which these incorrect steps are used is false in general.

Wed 23 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
This paper looks closely at a mathematical proof from 1995 about how well certain communication decoders work for sending data over simple yes-no channels. Later researchers found a numerical example that showed the original proof was wrong, but no one had clearly explained what the mistake was. The authors carefully analyze the original proof and find multiple flawed steps and show that a key supporting claim is generally false. This helps clear up confusion about what limits can be guaranteed in decoding performance.
Open → 2609.28109v1

Proof settles three key conjectures about binary communication channels

Three Conjectures on Binary Channels for the Doubly Symmetric Binary Source

Abstract: We settle three conjectures concerning a doubly symmetric binary source $(X,Y)$ with crossover $p$. Consider Markov chains $U - X - Y - V$ with $U,V$ binary, and let $\mathcal{A}$ be the set of rate triples $(I(U;V),I(U;X),I(Y;V))$ attainable with arbitrary binary channels $X\to U$, $Y\to V$, and $\mathcal{B}$ the subset attainable with binary symmetric channels. The averaged BSC conjecture, Conjecture 5.2 of Pichler, Piantanida and Matz (2022), asserts $\operatorname{conv}\mathcal{A}=\operatorname{conv}\mathcal{B}$. We prove this for every $p\in[0,1]$. Two conjectures of Dikshtein, Ordentlich and Shamai (2022) concern the double-sided information bottleneck at $p=0$, where $Y=X$ and the two channels see the same source: their Conjecture 1 identifies the exact maximum of $I(U;V)$ at prescribed rates $I(U;X)$ and $I(Y;V)$, and their Conjecture 2 the exact minimum. We prove both for binary $U,V$: the two extrema are attained by the same pair of Z/S-channels, in opposite orientation for the maximum and in the same orientation for the minimum. The proofs were found with substantial AI assistance, and all three theorems are formalised in Lean 4 with Mathlib, depending only on the standard axioms. The development is available at https://github.com/g-pichler/bsc-averaging . The proof of Conjecture 1 of Dikshtein, Ordentlich and Shamai (2022) contains three certified computations, a polynomial bound, an interval sweep and a polynomial positivity certificate, all of which are checked in Lean.

Wed 23 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
This paper resolves three long-standing questions about how information moves between two related binary signals through simple channels. The authors look at how pairs of processed signals can share, limit, or maximize information under given conditions. They prove that complicated scenarios can be reduced to simpler ones without loss, and show exactly which simple processing methods achieve the best and worst information sharing. Their proofs rely on computer-assisted methods and formal verification for full mathematical certainty.
Open → 2609.27991v1

Lower bounds improve understanding of error correction with deletions

Lower Bounds for all List-Decodable Deletion Codes

Abstract: A length-$n$ binary $k$-deletion code is a set of binary strings such that if we delete any $k$ bits of a string, leaving a length-$(n-k)$ binary string, we can uniquely recover the codeword. In this paper, we consider $t$-list decodable deletion codes, where after $k$ bits of a codeword are deleted, we can identify a list of size at most $t$ such that the original codeword lies in the list. We prove a lower bound of $Ω_k(2^n t\log^{1/t}n/n^{k+k/t})$ on the optimal size of a $t$-list decodable $k$-deletion code, giving a $\sqrt{\log n}$ improvement over the previously best known bounds for $2$-list decodable $2$-deletion codes [GH21] and providing the first nontrivial lower bound when $t>2$ or $k>2$. Our bound holds for all $t\leq n^k$, showing that $t=Ω(\log n)-$list decodable deletion codes have optimal size $Θ_k(2^n t/n^k)$, asymptotically matching the known upper bound. We also prove upper bounds on the number of common subsequences and common supersequences of a given length for any two binary strings.

Tue 22 SeptInformation TheoryDiscrete Mathematics
The gist
When some bits of data are accidentally deleted, it can be hard to know what the original message was. This paper studies codes that allow you to find a small list of possible original messages after some deletions. The authors show new limits on how large such codes can be to still work well, improving previous results and extending them to more cases. They also analyze how many common pieces two sequences can share after deletions or insertions.
Open → 2609.26650v1

First explicit construction of quaternary Legendre pair length 64

A Quaternary Legendre Pair of Length 64

Abstract: We construct an explicit quaternary Legendre pair of length $64$. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported construction at this length.

Tue 22 SeptDiscrete Mathematics
The gist
The paper presents a method to construct a special pair of sequences called a quaternary Legendre pair, each sequence having 64 elements. Such pairs are important in areas like signal processing because they have ideal correlation properties useful for reducing noise. Before this work, no explicit example of these pairs at length 64 was known. The authors provide the first concrete example, helping advance the study and potential applications of these sequences.
Open → 2609.25573v1

Boolean functions limit how much noisy data reveals about inputs

A Proof of the Most Informative Boolean Function Conjecture

Abstract: Let $X$ be uniform on $\{-1,1\}^n$, let $Y$ be obtained by passing its coordinates independently through a binary symmetric channel with crossover probability $p$, and let $g:\{-1,1\}^n\to\{0,1\}$ be a Boolean function. We give a computer-assisted proof of the Courtade--Kumar conjecture $I(g(X);Y)\le1-H_2(p)$, where $H_2$ is binary entropy, with equality attained by dictator functions. The present work builds on the differential-equation method, itself a limiting form of the auxiliary-receiver approach in network information theory using a continuum of degraded receivers. The proof proceeds from a local inequality to a dimension-independent bound on entropy production. Differentiation along the Boolean noise semigroup expresses entropy production as an average of edge costs. The key estimate is therefore an unrestricted Bellman inequality with two mean constraints and two entropy constraints, allowing arbitrary couplings of the edge variables. This paper and its supplement provide the proofs and computational verification records. The document is lengthy because it is designed to be entirely self-contained, deriving all proofs from first principles and reproducing the proofs of cited results. The supplementary material supporting the computer-assisted parts of the proof are available online.

Mon 21 SeptData Structures and AlgorithmsInformation Theory
The gist
The paper settles a long-standing math problem about how much you can learn from data that has been randomly flipped or corrupted. It shows that the simplest kind of function, one that looks at just a single input bit, gives the most information about the original data after noise is applied. The proof uses advanced techniques involving differential equations and computer checking to confirm the result. This helps us understand the fundamental limits of information in noisy systems.
Open → 2609.24931v1

Spatially coupled codes require smaller seed regions to start decoding

Threshold Saturation from a Bounded Region in Multidimensional Spatially Coupled Codes over the BEC

Abstract: We prove that a bounded shortened region initiates decoding throughout multidimensional spatially coupled regular LDPC and MacKay--Neal (MN) codes over the binary erasure channel (BEC). In every fixed finite dimension, uniform hypercube coupling permits the coupling width and shortened region to be chosen independently of the total number $V$ of spatial positions. At fixed widths and dimension $d>1$, replacing a shortened slab by a bounded hypercube reduces the shortening fraction from order $V^{-1/d}$ to order $V^{-1}$, with the same improvement in the shortening term of the check-count rate bound. Regular LDPC codes decode below their uncoupled potential threshold. MN codes achieve capacity for every integer degree choice $\ell>r\geq2$, $g\geq2$: their actual transmitted rates tend to $r/\ell$ and their average bit-erasure probabilities under sum-product decoding vanish below $1-r/\ell$. The proof combines an endpoint-potential identity, removal of an auxiliary constraint, finite-time estimates uniform in direction, and a curvature comparison that transfers flat-boundary progress to expanding balls. For MN codes, elementary inequalities establish fixed-point positivity for all these degrees. Two-dimensional density-evolution examples illustrate the dependence on the initial shortened region; the general sufficient constants are not evaluated numerically.

Mon 21 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
This paper shows that certain advanced error-correcting codes called multidimensional spatially coupled codes can start their decoding process from a very small fixed area, even as the entire code grows larger. The authors prove that making this seed region a bounded shape reduces the initial overhead needed to begin decoding, which means more efficient data transmission. They also demonstrate that one type of these codes, called MacKay--Neal codes, can achieve the best possible rates for data recovery in noisy channels. The work provides mathematical proof and examples showing how these codes improve decoding performance.
Open → 2609.24568v1

Upper bounds refined for codes with fixed symbol weights and compositions

Envelopes of upper bounds for nonbinary constant-weight and constant-composition codes

Abstract: Deriving upper bounds on code size from existing bounds is a classical approach in coding theory, dating back to the seminal results of Elias, Bassalygo, and Levenshtein. We study a framework encompassing the Bassalygo--Elias and Levenshtein inequalities for binary and nonbinary (constant-weight) codes and provides certain generalizations. The asymptotic cost of transferring a bound between different symbol compositions is expressed in terms of mutual information, yielding an information-theoretic optimal transport formulation. We determine the optimal permutation-transport cost between arbitrary compositions in terms of their least common majorant in the majorization order. Specializing to symmetric constant-weight compositions yields explicit transport profiles. As a byproduct, we establish unimodality of the asymptotic constant-weight rate as a function of the relative weight. We prove that the resulting closure operators are idempotent and that applying transport before outer Bassalygo--Elias averaging leaves the unrestricted bound obtained from the same input unchanged. We also establish necessary and sufficient conditions for an upper bound to be a fixed point of the closure operator. Since the asymptotic rate function is an upper bound for itself and it is a fixed point, we conclude the Schur concavity of the constant-composition rate function. Finally, we survey existing upper bounds for binary and nonbinary constant-weight and constant-composition codes, combine them into optimized envelopes within the transport framework, and obtain improved theoretical and numerical bounds.

Sun 20 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Codes with specific patterns, like fixed numbers of certain symbols, are important in reliable data transmission. The authors studied and extended classic ways to calculate the maximum size of such codes. They connected these calculations to ideas from information theory and found new mathematical properties and better bounds. Their work helps us understand and improve limits on code sizes more precisely.
Open → 2609.23869v1

Deterministic broadcast channels fully described by bipartite graphs

The Deterministic Broadcast Channel Revisited: A Bipartite Graph Approach

Abstract: The general broadcast channel (BC) has attracted considerable attention because it is a central problem in network or multi-user information theory. The deterministic BC (det-BC), in which both output symbols are functions of the input symbol, plays a vital role in understanding general BCs. In the 1970s, Marton and Pinsker investigated the det-BC independently using a random coding approach and hence quantified its capacity region as functions of the entropy of output symbols. In this paper, we present a purely deterministic and combinatorial treatment of the deterministic BC, which is in contrast to Marton and Pinsker's probabilistic treatment. In particular, we show that each det-BC can be uniquely and completely characterized by a bipartite graph. Based on the bipartite graph model, we present the explicit capacity region of the general det-BC and a deterministic capacity-achieving coding scheme. Specifically, each point on the capacity region boundary is expressed as an explicit function of the degree sequences of the two parts, with boundary coordinates parametrized by the tangent slope. As a result, a closed-form capacity region, which was previously unknown except for special cases such as the Blackwell channel, can be analytically determined, without optimizing the probability distribution of input symbols numerically. For a bipartite graph consisting of multiple isolated subgraphs, there can exist a commonly decodable message while preserving the maximum achievable sum rate, and its achievable rate is explicitly characterized. Finally, the bipartite-graph formulation allows us to construct optimal finite-blocklength coding for the det-BC through binary linear programming.

Sun 20 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Broadcast channels let one signal reach many receivers with different outputs. Previous studies used probability to understand how much information can be sent through these channels. This paper shows how to fully describe these channels without relying on probability, using a special kind of network called a bipartite graph. The authors provide exact formulas and methods to find the best way to send messages, which were unknown for most cases before.
Open → 2609.23322v1

Hyper-derivative algebraic geometry codes extend error correction possibilities

Hyper-derivative Algebraic Geometry Codes via Local Expansions

Abstract: In this paper, we develop a systematic construction framework of hyper-derivative algebraic geometry codes via local expansions, extending hyper-derivative Reed-Solomon codes from the rational function field to general algebraic function fields. Using the residue theorem, we determine their Euclidean duals and illustrate that the duals naturally reverse. We further give criteria for reverse self orthogonality and reverse self duality in terms of two classes of bilinear forms. Finally, we provide an asymptotic bound on the rate and relative distance via function field towers.

Wed 16 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Error-correcting codes help send information reliably over noisy channels. This paper extends a special kind of code, called hyper-derivative Reed-Solomon codes, from a simple setting to more complex algebraic curves. The authors develop new formulas to understand how these codes behave and find conditions when the codes have special symmetry properties. They also establish limits on how well these codes can perform as they grow larger using advanced mathematical tools.
Open → 2609.18098v1

Improving data rates for two-user wireless channels with power strategies

Second-Order Asymptotics for the Gaussian MAC on the Relative Interior of the Sum-Rate Face

Abstract: We completely characterize the second-order coding rate region of the two-user Gaussian multiple-access channel at points in the relative interior of the sum-rate face, under maximal per-codeword power constraints. For any fixed average error probability $0 < \varepsilon < 1/2$, a nontrivial mixture of power splits reduces the sum-rate dispersion and strictly improves upon standard inner bounds based on a constant power split. Thus, a constant power split, although sufficient to attain the first-order capacity region, is insufficient for second-order optimality in this regime. Our achievability proof builds on the constant composition and coded time-sharing framework of Scarlett, Martinez, and Guillén i Fàbregas, with an optimization over admissible power splits. A matching second-order converse establishes the optimality of the resulting coded time-sharing strategy.

Wed 16 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Communicating efficiently over wireless channels when two users share the same space is tricky. The authors found that splitting signal power between users in a mixed way can improve data transmission beyond what usual fixed splits achieve. They mathematically proved just how much better this method is for transmitting data reliably at high rates. This offers a more precise understanding of communication limits when many devices share the same network space.
Open → 2609.18013v1

Gaussian distribution uniquely makes estimation error smoothly expand at low noise

Zero-SNR Analyticity of the Scalar MMSE Is Equivalent to Gaussianity

Abstract: Let $Y_s=\sqrt{s}X+Z$, where $Z$ is standard Gaussian and independent of the real random variable $X$. We prove that, under the square-exponential moment condition $\mathbb{E}e^{βX^2}<\infty$ for some $β>0$, the scalar minimum mean-square error $\operatorname{mmse}_X(s)$ is analytic at zero signal-to-noise ratio if and only if $X$ is Gaussian, with constant random variables included as degenerate Gaussians. The proof converts estimation in the Gaussian channel into a backward heat flow acting on the moment-generating function $M(z)=\mathbb{E}e^{zX}$. Under the stated tail condition, every non-Gaussian input forces $M$ to have a nonzero complex zero. We show that each zero cluster produces a finite singularity in its localized Borel transform at the action $ξ=z_0^2/2$. After removing the action scale, the Borel coefficients have a nonzero $n^{-1/2}$ prefactor for a simple zero. A zero of multiplicity $m\geq 2$ splits according to the roots of a Hermite polynomial and instead contributes a prefactor $n^{-m/2}e^{r_m\sqrt{2n}}$. A finite-disc localization and relative-cycle continuation argument then show that at least one such singularity survives in the full Borel transform. Thus, for every non-Gaussian input in the stated class, the formal zero-SNR expansion is Gevrey-1 but divergent. Rational-MMSE rigidity and the analogous analyticity criterion for mutual information follow as corollaries.

Mon 14 SeptInformation TheoryMachine Learning
The gist
This paper looks at how accurately one can estimate a hidden variable when it is observed in noisy data. The authors find that if the variable isn’t Gaussian (a common bell-curve shape), the error in estimation behaves in a complicated way as noise gets very low. They prove that only a Gaussian variable leads to a smooth, simple expansion of estimation error at very low noise. This connection helps understand the special role of Gaussian distributions in signal processing and information theory.
Open → 2609.15048v1

New method creates complex multi-sequences for better cryptography

Construction of Multi-sequences With High Nonlinear Complexity via Narrow Ray Class Fields

Abstract: Nonlinear complexity is a fundamental criterion in the evaluation of pseudorandom sequences. The construction of multi-sequences with high nonlinear complexity is both theoretically and practically important in cryptography. Motivated by prior constructions of multi-sequences with high nonlinear complexity in [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 60(10), 2014] and [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 63(12), 2017], we provide a unified framework via narrow ray class fields, the cyclic descent due to Guruswami and Xing in [J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 129 (2015) ]. Then we can generate new multi-sequences with high nonlinear complexity over function fields with arbitrary genera.

Wed 9 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Generating sequences that are hard to predict is very important for keeping information secure. The authors build on earlier work to create a flexible method for making multiple such sequences that are very complex in a nonlinear way. They use advanced math called narrow ray class fields to do this, which lets them create these sequences over different kinds of function fields. This approach can help improve cryptographic systems by providing stronger pseudorandom sequences.
Open → 2609.10369v1

Conditional fisher information limits clarify gaussian behavior in noisy systems

Conditional Fisher-Information Central Limit Theorems under Log-Concavity with Information-Theoretic Consequences

Abstract: We establish conditional central limit theorems in Fisher information under log-concavity in every fixed dimension. For conditionally centered normalized sums, after whitening by the averaged conditional covariance, the averaged conditional Fisher information converges to the dimension if and only if it is finite at one convolution level. The scalar criterion follows as the one-dimensional case; we also provide an independent scalar proof based on a second-order continuity theorem for Fisher production on Gaussian-smoothed, tail-controlled classes. For the original sums, the averaged Fisher information matrix converges in operator norm to the inverse averaged conditional covariance. Consequently, the conditional relative Fisher information with respect to the limiting Gaussian law vanishes, and the Gaussian logarithmic Sobolev inequality yields convergence in conditional relative entropy and conditional entropy. We give two operational consequences. For any fixed finite-constellation low-power input, the first-order conditional mutual-information slope converges to the Gaussian-noise benchmark. For Gaussian signaling at any fixed signal covariance, the mutual-information gap from that benchmark is bounded by the conditional relative Fisher deficit and hence vanishes asymptotically.

Mon 7 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
This paper studies how certain mathematical measures, called Fisher information, behave when adding up random effects that have a special shape known as log-concavity. The authors prove that the measure approaches a simple, predictable form related to Gaussian noise in many dimensions. This helps show that some technical quantities used in information theory become simpler and behave like Gaussian noise under certain conditions. They also show practical consequences for how much information can be transmitted in noisy communication systems when using fixed sets of signals or Gaussian signals.
Open → 2609.07150v1