Channel simulation and coding with side information

Studies the minimum random bit rate required to simulate a random system (channel), where the simulator operates with a given external input. As measures of simulation accuracy the authors use both the variational distance and the d¯ distance between joint input-output distributions. They find the asymptotic number of random bits per input sample required for accurate simulation, as a function of the distribution of the input process. These results hold for arbitrary channels and input processes, including nonstationary and nonergodic processes and do not hinge on a specific simulation scheme. A by-product of the analysis is a general formula for the minimal achievable source coding rate with side information