Asymptotic Synchronization for Finite-State Sources

Nicholas F. Travers and James P. Crutchfield

Complexity Sciences Center
Mathematics Department
Physics Department
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616

ABSTRACT: We extend a recent synchronization analysis of exact finite-state sources to nonexact sources for which synchronization occurs only asymptotically. Although the proof methods are quite different, the primary results remain the same. We find that an observer's average uncertainty in the source state vanishes exponentially fast and, as a consequence, an observer's average uncertainty in predicting future output converges exponentially fast to the source entropy rate.


Nicholas F. Travers and James P. Crutchfield, "Asymptotic Synchronization for Finite-State Sources", J. Stat. Phys. 145:5 (2011) 1202-1223.
[pdf] 591 KB
Santa Fe Institute Working Paper 10-11-029.
arXiv:1011.1581 [nlin.CD].