Network information flow
Ahlswede, R.; Ning Cai; Li, S.-Y.R.; Yeung, R.W.
Information Theory, IEEE Transactions on
Volume 46, Issue 4, Jul 2000 Page(s):1204 - 1216
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/18.850663
Summary:We introduce a new class of problems called network information
flow which is inspired by computer network applications. Consider a
point-to-point communication network on which a number of information
sources are to be multicast to certain sets of destinations. We assume
that the information sources are mutually independent. The problem is to
characterize the admissible coding rate region. This model subsumes all
previously studied models along the same line. We study the problem with
one information source, and we have obtained a simple characterization
of the admissible coding rate region. Our result can be regarded as the
max-flow min-cut theorem for network information flow. Contrary to one's
intuition, our work reveals that it is in general not optimal to regard
the information to be multicast as a “fluid” which can
simply be routed or replicated. Rather, by employing coding at the
nodes, which we refer to as network coding, bandwidth can in general be
saved. This finding may have significant impact on future design of
switching systems
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