On multiple-access communication system for general correlated sources with an array of general independent channels

This paper revisits a multiple-access communication system for correlated sources with an array of independent channels in view of information spectrum method, and characterizes new necessary and sufficient conditions for the separation theorem holds for general class of sources and channels. This result increases the understanding of the source-channel separation theorem. Moreover, this theorem has not only theoretical, but also has a practical aspect, because the separation principle of this paper can divide communication systems for sending correlated sources over an array of independent channels into general correlated source coding subsystems and general channel coding subsystems. We also provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for the transmission of general correlated sources over general MAC by using the information spectrum method.