Moment space upper and lower error bounds for digital systems with intersymbol interference

A method for the evaluation of upper and lower bounds to the error probability of a linear pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) system with bounded intersymbol interference and additive Gaussian noise is obtained via an isomorphism theorem from the theory of moment spaces. These upper and lower bounds are seen to be equivalent to upper and lower envelopes of some compact convex body generated from a set of kernel functions. Depending on the selection of these kernels and their corresponding moments, different classes of bounds are obtained. In this paper, upper and lower bounds that depend on the absolute moment of the intersymbol interference random variable, the second moment, the fourth moment, and an "exponential moment" are found by analytical, graphical, or iterative approaches. We study in detail the exponential moment case and obtain a family of new upper and a family of new lower bounds. Within each family, expressions for these bounds are given explicitly as a function of an arbitrary real-valued parameter. For two channels of interest, upper and lower bounds are evaluated and compared. Results indicate these bounds to be tight and useful.