Algebraic Number Theory And Code Design For Rayleigh Fading Channels (Repost)

Elementary number theory was the basis of the development of error correcting codes in the early years of coding theory. Finite fields were the key tool in the design of powerful binary codes and gradually entered in the general mathematical background of communications engineers. Thanks to the technological developments and increased processing power available in digital receivers, attention moved to the design of signal space codes in the framework of coded modulation systems. Here, the theory of Euclidean lattices became of great interest for the design of dense signal constellations well suited for transmission over the Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel.