Application of complex networks to coding

Channel coding provides error-correction capability at the receiving end by adding redundant information (bits) to every block of data in the transmission. In this article, we describe how some results from complex networks can be applied to channel coding for communications. In particular, we explain how the average-path-length characteristic of complex networks can be used to help design low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes of very good error-correction capabilities, one of the most important problems in channel coding under hot pursuit.