9 Jan
2002
9 Jan
'02
3:46 p.m.
From: "Michael Motyka" <mmotyka@lsil.com>
random data cannot be compressed
or
random data may include recognizable and even repeating patterns
Both. As someone already explained, you can write a specific algorithm that will compress a string of 100 zeros to a single 0. Now, if given a random string of 100 bits, there is a probability of 1 in 2^100 that this string is all zeros - in which case you'll manage to compress it. But in all cases, your algorithm won't accomplish anything. And in the one case where you're lucky, the string is NOT random - it's specified. Mark