Variable-length Codes for Data Compression

Most data compression methods that are based on variable-length codes employ the Huffman or Golomb codes. However, there are a large number of less-known codes that have useful properties - such as those containing certain bit patterns, or those that are robust - and these can be useful. This book brings this large set of codes to the attention of workers in the field and to students of computer science.


David Salomon’s clear style of writing and presentation, which has been familiar to readers for many years now, allows easy access to this topic. This comprehensive text offers readers a detailed, reader-friendly description of the variable length codes used in the field of data compression. Readers are only required to have a general familiarity with computer methods and essentially an understanding of the representation of data in bits and files.

Topics and Features:

• Discusses codes in-depth, not the compression algorithms, which are readily available in many books

• Includes detailed illustrations, providing readers with a deeper and broader understanding of the topic

• Provides a supplementary author-maintained website, with errata and auxiliary material – www.davidsalomon.name/VLCadvertis/VLC.html

• Easily understood and used by computer science majors requiring only a minimum of mathematics

• Can easily be used as a main or auxiliary textbook for courses on algebraic codes or data compression and protection

• An ideal companion volume to David Salomon’s fourth edition of Data Compression: The Complete Reference


Computer scientists, electrical engineers and students majoring in computer science or electrical engineering will find this volume a valuable resource, as will those readers in various physical sciences and mathematics.

David Salomon is a professor emeritus of Computer Science at California State University, Northridge. He has authored numerous articles and books, including Coding for Data and Computer Communications, Guide to Data Compression Methods, Data Privacy and Security, Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling, Foundations of Computer Security, and Transformations and Projections in Computer Graphics.