AlgoPlus//networking / hamming
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Hamming Code

Parity bits at power-of-two positions encode the exact location of a single-bit error.

Phase
Done
Syndrome
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4 data bits
Legend
Parity bit / covered
Bit error
Corrected
AI Tutor Workspace
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In a nutshell
Hamming codes place parity bits at the power-of-two positions (1, 2, 4, 8…), each guarding the positions whose number includes its bit. Together they encode the binary address of any single flipped bit, so after an error the failing checks form a number — the syndrome — that names the exact bit to flip back and correct.
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Put parity bits at powers of two so each one guards the positions whose index includes its bit. The failing checks literally spell out the error's position in binary.
Key terms
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