A new data compression algorithm for sources with memory based on error correcting codes

A new fixed-length asymptotically optimal scheme for lossless compression of stationary ergodic tree sources with memory is proposed. Our scheme is based on the concatenation of the Burrows-Wheeler block sorting transform with the syndrome former of a linear error correcting code. Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes together with belief propagation decoding lead to linear compression and decompression times, and to natural universal implementation of the algorithm.