Vector symbol decoding with list inner symbol decisions

Prior work showed the ability of a randomly chosen outer code of a concatenated code to correct large numbers of nonbinary symbol errors in a simple manner, provided that the error symbols as vectors are linearly independent. This paper extends the technique in two ways: 1) it is shown how to correct a large class of dependent errors with little additional complexity; and 2) if the inner code supplies a list of two (or more) candidates in some or all decisions, a slightly modified vector symbol decoder can directly reveal most correct alternatives, allowing more powerful and often simpler correction.