Sample converses in source coding theory

The rate and distortion performance of a sequence of codes along a sample sequence of symbols generated by a stationary ergodic information source are studied. Two results are obtained: (1) the source sample sequence is encoded by an arbitrary sequence of block codes which operate at a fixed rate level R, and a sample converse is obtained which states that, with probability one, the lower limit of the code sample distortions is lower bounded by D(R), the value of the distortion rate function at R; (2) the source sample sequence is encoded by an arbitrary sequence of variable-rate codes which operate at a fixed distortion level D, and a sample converse is obtained which states that, with probability one, the lower limit of the code sample rates is lower bounded by R(D), the value of the rate distortion function at D. A novel ergodic theorem is used to obtain both sample converses