Determination of redundancies in a set of patterns

A set of black-and-white patterns can be identified by successive sampling of the individual "cells" which constitute these patterns. If the number of patterns is and the number of cells is , it is possible to find, for any specified sampling sequence at least cells which may be omitted without obstructing unique identification. Such redundant cells can be found by two methods: Construction of a "code mobile," and compilation of a "code schedule." The "mobile" is useful inasmuch as its topological characteristics can be correlated with the information capabilities and the inherent redundancy of the given identification process. The "schedule," on the other hand, is the numerical means by which practical cases can be rapidly and systematically solved. Besides revealing the redundancies in a given set, both the "mobile" and the "schedule" may serve as useful tools in evaluating and designing sampling programs.