[REBOL] Re: Compression
From: ryanc:iesco-dms at: 17-Apr-2001 16:32
Joel Neely wrote:
<snip>
>
> It doesn't matter. Although the sequence "3/7" is a valid encoding
> for the infinite message
>
> 0.42857142857142857142857142857142857142857142857...
>
> (and therefore highly efficient ;-) I challenge you to find an
> equally compact encoding for the highly-similar message
>
> 0.42857142857142857142857142857142857142857412857...
>
Not exactly equally compact, but how about this:
23 / 7 S 6
23 divided by 7 skipping the first 6 digits.
> (yes, they are different, if you look closely enough). If both of
> these messages are in the set of possible messages I need to be able
> to encode, then the average cost of an "a/b" encoding begins to cost
> more as the set of possible messages grows.
>
> What makes the whole system cost even more is that you also have to
> take the size of the (de)compression algorithm itself into account.
> Consider that the absolute best possible compression technique
> (averaged, again, over the entire set of messages capable of being
> handled) would be to use a dictionary containing every possible
> message. If all messages were equally likely, the best possible
> compression would be to represent each message by its position in
> the dictionary (in binary, of course).
>
> Finally, I don't claim comprehensive knowledge, but everything I've
> read about "fractal compression" makes it sound like a lossy
> compression scheme.
>
> -jn-
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I know it does not work, but I could see the expression on your face from
here. lol, lol, lol, lol.
I am suprised you didnt here my laughs. Wew! I will be getting a good
chuckle for awhile, thanks! Of course if I knew how to do such things
Joel, you would have heared about it on the 6 o'clock news. ;^)
Cheers,
--Ryan
Ryan Cole
Programmer Analyst
www.iesco-dms.com
707-468-5400
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is
limited. Imagination encircles the world.
-Einstein
