What does "Entropy Coding" mean?
Table of Contents
Entropy coding is a method used to reduce the amount of data needed to represent information. It helps make data smaller without losing important details. This technique is often used in computer science and data compression to save space and improve efficiency.
How It Works
The idea behind entropy coding is to assign shorter codes to more common items and longer codes to less common items. By doing this, the overall size of the data can be reduced. For example, if a certain word appears a lot in a text, it can be given a short code, while a rare word gets a longer one. This makes it easier to store and share information.
Applications
Entropy coding is widely used in various fields, such as:
- Image compression: Reducing the size of image files while keeping quality.
- Video streaming: Allowing videos to load faster and use less bandwidth.
- Text files: Making documents smaller so they take up less space on devices.
Using entropy coding can lead to faster processing and less storage space needed for data, which is especially important in areas like machine learning and 3D scene modeling.