20 research outputs found
A Proof of Entropy Minimization for Outputs in Deletion Channels via Hidden Word Statistics
From the output produced by a memoryless deletion channel from a uniformly
random input of known length , one obtains a posterior distribution on the
channel input. The difference between the Shannon entropy of this distribution
and that of the uniform prior measures the amount of information about the
channel input which is conveyed by the output of length , and it is natural
to ask for which outputs this is extremized. This question was posed in a
previous work, where it was conjectured on the basis of experimental data that
the entropy of the posterior is minimized and maximized by the constant strings
and and the alternating strings
and respectively. In the present
work we confirm the minimization conjecture in the asymptotic limit using
results from hidden word statistics. We show how the analytic-combinatorial
methods of Flajolet, Szpankowski and Vall\'ee for dealing with the hidden
pattern matching problem can be applied to resolve the case of fixed output
length and , by obtaining estimates for the entropy in
terms of the moments of the posterior distribution and establishing its
minimization via a measure of autocorrelation.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Variance and Covariance of Several Simultaneous Outputs of a Markov Chain
The partial sum of the states of a Markov chain or more generally a Markov
source is asymptotically normally distributed under suitable conditions. One of
these conditions is that the variance is unbounded. A simple combinatorial
characterization of Markov sources which satisfy this condition is given in
terms of cycles of the underlying graph of the Markov chain. Also Markov
sources with higher dimensional alphabets are considered.
Furthermore, the case of an unbounded covariance between two coordinates of
the Markov source is combinatorically characterized. If the covariance is
bounded, then the two coordinates are asymptotically independent.
The results are illustrated by several examples, like the number of specific
blocks in --sequences and the Hamming weight of the width-
non-adjacent form
Central limit theorems for patterns in multiset permutations and set partitions
We use the recently developed method of weighted dependency graphs to prove
central limit theorems for the number of occurrences of any fixed pattern in
multiset permutations and in set partitions. This generalizes results for
patterns of size 2 in both settings, obtained by Canfield, Janson and
Zeilberger and Chern, Diaconis, Kane and Rhoades, respectively.Comment: version 2 (52 pages) implements referee's suggestions and uses
journal layou
A generating function for bit strings with no Grand Dyck pattern matching
Abstract
We study the construction and the enumeration of bit strings, or binary words in {0, 1}*, having more 1's than 0's and avoiding a set of Grand Dyck patterns which form a cross-bifix-free set. We give a particular jumping and marked succession rule which describes the growth of such words according to the number of 1's. Then, we give the enumeration of the class by means of generating function
From Information Theory Puzzles in Deletion Channels to Deniability in Quantum Cryptography
Research questions, originally rooted in quantum key exchange (QKE), have branched off into independent lines of inquiry ranging from information theory to fundamental physics. In a similar vein, the first part of this thesis is dedicated to information theory problems in deletion channels that arose in the context of QKE. From the output produced by a memoryless deletion channel with a uniformly random input of known length n, one obtains a posterior distribution on the channel input. The difference between the Shannon entropy of this distribution and that of the uniform prior measures the amount of information about the channel input which is conveyed by the output of length m. We first conjecture on the basis of experimental data that the entropy of the posterior is minimized by the constant strings 000..., 111... and maximized by the alternating strings 0101..., 1010.... Among other things, we derive analytic expressions for minimal entropy and propose alternative approaches for tackling the entropy extremization problem. We address a series of closely related combinatorial problems involving binary (sub/super)-sequences and prove the original minimal entropy conjecture for the special cases of single and double deletions using clustering techniques and a run-length encoding of strings. The entropy analysis culminates in a fundamental characterization of the extremal entropic cases in terms of the distribution of embeddings. We confirm the minimization conjecture in the asymptotic limit using results from hidden word statistics by showing how the analytic-combinatorial methods of Flajolet, Szpankowski and Vallée, relying on generating functions, can be applied to resolve the case of fixed output length and n → ∞.
In the second part, we revisit the notion of deniability in QKE, a topic that remains largely unexplored. In a work by Donald Beaver it is argued that QKE protocols are not necessarily deniable due to an eavesdropping attack that limits key equivocation. We provide more insight into the nature of this attack and discuss how it extends to other prepare-and-measure QKE schemes such as QKE obtained from uncloneable encryption. We adopt the framework for quantum authenticated key exchange developed by Mosca et al. and extend it to introduce the notion of coercer-deniable QKE, formalized in terms of the indistinguishability of real and fake coercer views. We also elaborate on the differences between our model and the standard simulation-based definition of deniable key exchange in the classical setting. We establish a connection between the concept of covert communication and deniability by applying results from a work by Arrazola and Scarani on obtaining covert quantum communication and covert QKE to propose a simple construction for coercer-deniable QKE. We prove the deniability of this scheme via a reduction to the security of covert QKE. We relate deniability to fundamental concepts in quantum information theory and suggest a generic approach based on entanglement distillation for achieving information-theoretic deniability, followed by an analysis of other closely related results such as the relation between the impossibility of unconditionally secure quantum bit commitment and deniability. Finally, we present an efficient coercion-resistant and quantum-secure voting scheme, based on fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and recent advances in various FHE primitives such as hashing, zero-knowledge proofs of correct decryption, verifiable shuffles and threshold FHE