Compressors for combined source and channel coding with applications to the generalized Gaussian family (Corresp.)

The twin tools of asymptotic quantization theory and rate-distortion theory are used to find an expression for the approximate total mean-squared distortion of the series connection of a nonuniform quantizer and a noisy channel. The nonuniform quantizer is modeled as a compressor followed by a uniform quantizer. The approximate total mean-squared error distortion is minimized over a class of parameterized compressor characteristics for input processes whose univariate probability density functions are members of the generalized Gaussian family.