Guessing Games, Information Theory, and Codes
Ryan Hutchinson
Assistant Professor
Mathematics
Hillsdale College
Information theory is a mathematical framework for studying the problems of reliable transmission and storage of data. In this talk, we will use a simple guessing game to illustrate some of the fundamental concepts of information theory and the limits they place on the possibility of reliable communication over a noisy channel. We will also discuss the use of codes in correcting errors that result from the presence of noise.