Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: We consider the scenario in which a set of sources generates messages in a network and a receiver node demands an arbitrary linear function of these messages. We formulate an algebraic test to determine whether an arbitrary network can compute linear functions using linear codes. We identify a class of linear functions that can be computed using linear codes in every network that satisfies a natural cut-based condition. Conversely, for another class of linear functions, we show that the cut-based condition does not guarantee the existence of a linear coding solution. For linear functions over the binary field, the two classes are complements of each other.
Institutions: IBM Research - Almaden, University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2169369793