Computing Reviews

Information-theoretic caching:sequential coding for computing
Wang C., Lim S., Gastpar M. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory62(11):6393-6406,2016.Type:Article
Date Reviewed: 06/21/17

Streaming video sequences can be encoded in real time by applying a variable of some average rate of bits per symbol. Such a technique stores both the data sequence and the request sequence simultaneously for updated visual information of the video. Storing information in cache speeds up the information flow because the smaller portions are downloaded to be delivered to the user within shorter time intervals, saving hard disk space from the perspective of alternately storing (temporarily) and deleting it.

The study is inspired by work that exploits statistical properties of the data and requests to deliver it to multiple users at the same time. Evidence that the work is widely studied in the literature and the research concept have been built on the extensive fundamental information resources found in the 45 references, mainly from highly ranked journal articles.

At first, the research problem is presented through examples, including delivering to the user the most interesting moments of the game he has just watched in real time. Then, mathematical formulas are introduced. The concept is proposed for a single user where independent and nested source components are considered with the request, to be extended to multiple user cases in which sequential coding is analyzed in Gray-Wyner systems and through sequential successful refinement, where the cache and update encoders send descriptions to the decoders. In the static model, the user requests (both source sequence and the request) are assumed to be independent. In the worst case, when the request characteristics are unknown, the information is not distributed over the blocks that save it in average cases.

This work can be recommended to experts working in cryptography; however, mathematicians could take advantage of supporting the project with its numerous formulas, of which there are many. As a computer scientist, I would be happy to see the research problem from the practical rather than the mathematical perspective.

Reviewer:  Jolanta Mizera-Pietraszko Review #: CR145360 (1708-0553)

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