Operational rate distortion theory

The paper treats data compression from the viewpoint of information theory where a certain error probability is tolerable. We obtain bounds for the minimal rate given an error probability for block coding of general stationary ergodic sources. An application of the theory of large deviations provides numerical methods to compute for memoryless sources, the minimal compression rate given a tolerable error probability. Interesting connections between Cramer's functions and Shannon's theory for lossy coding are found.