Data Compression

Data compression is a technique used to reduce the number of bits needed to store or transmit data, thus reducing needed storage capacity and accelerating transmission of data. Compression can either be lossy or lossless. Lossy compression loses some data during the compression process whereas lossless compressed data can be decompressed to its original data without any loss (hence the name ‘lossless’).

• Lecture

  • Watch on Youtube
  • Download Lecture
  • Lecture Notes

• Supplementary Resources

  • How Stuff Works on How File Compression Works
  • How-to Geek on What Lossless File Formats Are & Why You Shouldn’t Convery Lossy to Lossless
  • Techquickie on Data Compression as Fast as Possible

• Thought Questions

  • How has data compression revolutionized technology?
  • How does compression work? What’s the between lossy and lossless compression?
  • Imagine data compression didn’t exist. How much information on your phone would you lose? For example, music?
  • Do you think there are better compression algorithms that no one has discovered yet?
  • Is it necessary to discover better compression algorithms?

• Problem

  • Blockdude