The problem of guessing a random string is revisited. A close relation
between guessing and compression is first established. Then it is shown that if
the sequence of distributions of the information spectrum satisfies the large
deviation property with a certain rate function, then the limiting guessing
exponent exists and is a scalar multiple of the Legendre-Fenchel dual of the
rate function. Other sufficient conditions related to certain continuity
properties of the information spectrum are briefly discussed. This approach
highlights the importance of the information spectrum in determining the
limiting guessing exponent. All known prior results are then re-derived as
example applications of our unifying approach.Comment: 16 pages, to appear in IEEE Transaction on Information Theor
