Coderingsdichtheid

Coderingsdichtheid, often translated as coding density, is a concept in information theory and digital communications that describes how much useful information is carried in a coded data stream relative to the total amount of data transmitted or stored. It is commonly quantified by the coding rate R = k/n, where k is the number of information bits in a codeword and n is the total number of bits after encoding. Expressed more broadly, coding density can be viewed as the proportion of bits that convey information versus redundancy.

In channel coding, increasing density means reducing redundancy to achieve higher data throughput, but at the cost of diminished error protection. Conversely, adding redundancy increases resilience to noise and errors, lowering the effective density and typically reducing data rate. The fundamental limit is governed by the channel capacity: reliable communication at a given density is possible only if R does not exceed the channel’s capacity C.

In source coding (compression), the goal is often to maximize density by reducing redundancy to approach the source’s entropy, thereby representing information with as few bits as possible. Practical codes balance density with error-correcting capabilities, latency, complexity, and the quality of service required.

Applications of coding density span telecommunications, data storage, and media transmission. Typical considerations include modulation schemes, error-correcting codes, block or convolutional structures, and the operating signal-to-noise ratio. Understanding coderingsdichtheid helps engineers design systems that meet desired data rates while maintaining acceptable reliability and efficiency. See also coding theory, coding rate, channel capacity, and error-correcting codes.