FA-72029 / Error-correcting codes / Member archive
RS single-error correction ignores a lone zero syndrome · case 04
Error patterns with exactly one zero syndrome are "corrected" using log(0).
Case contract
Correct at most one symbol error in a Reed-Solomon codeword with two parity symbols over GF(2^8) (0x11D, roots alpha^0 and alpha^1, alpha = 2). msg lists coefficients highest degree first, so index n-1-i holds degree i. With S0 = msg(1) and S1 = msg(alpha): both zero -> clean; one zero -> uncorrectable; else the error degree is log(S1/S0), which must be < n, and the error value is S0. Return [corrected symbols or None, status].
Why this case matters
Short-block RS codes in barcodes and radio headers correct a single corrupted symbol cheaply.
One recorded failure
Sample boundary fixtureThis sample comes from the broken implementation of a controlled reproducer.
| Boundary fixture | Actual | Expected | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| regression [[146, 202, 14, 25, 193]] | [[146, 202, 14, 151, 193], "corrected"] | [null, "uncorrectable"] | Failed |
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