Code Size Constraints in b-symbol Read Channels: A Bound Analysis

In classical coding theory, error-correcting codes are designed to protect against errors occurring at individual symbol positions in a codeword. However, in practical storage and communication systems, errors often affect multiple adjacent symbols rather than single symbols independently. To address this, symbol-pair read channels were introduced [1], and later generalized to b-symbol read channels [2] to better model such error patterns. b-Symbol read channels generalize symbol-pair read channels to account for clustered errors in modern storage and communication systems. By developing bounds and efficient codes, researchers improve data reliability in applications such as storage devices, wireless networks, and DNA-based storage. Given integers q, n, d, and b ≥ 2, let A_b(n,d,q) denote the largest possible code size for which there exists a q-ary code of length n with a minimum b-symbol distance d. In [3], various upper and lower bounds on A_b(n,d,q) are given for b = 2. In this paper, we generalize some of these bounds to the b-symbol read channels for b > 2 and present several new bounds on A_b(n,d,q). In particular, we establish the linear programming bound, a recurrence relation on A_b(n,d,q), the Johnson bound (even), the restricted Johnson bound, the Gilbert-Varshamov-type bound, and the Elias bound for the metric of symbols b, b ≥ 2. Furthermore, we provide examples showing that the Gilbert–Varshamov bound established in this paper yields a stronger lower bound than the one given in [4]. Additionally, we introduce an alternative approach to derive the sphere-packing and Plotkin bounds.