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Guessing with a Bit of Help.
Nir Weinberger1, Ofer Shayevitz2
1Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
This study quantifies the value of limited information bits for guessing random data. Limited bits significantly improve guessing accuracy, with potential for optimal performance using specific functions.
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Area of Science:
- Information Theory
- Computer Science
- Probability Theory
Background:
- Investigates the utility of a small number of information bits for improving data guessing.
- Focuses on scenarios where Alice guesses an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random vector using bits from Bob, who observed it via a memoryless channel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the value of a fixed number of information bits (k) for a guesser.
- To analyze the guessing ratio, defined as the ratio of guessing moments with and without Bob's bits.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of dictator and majority functions for upper bounds on the guessing ratio.
- Application of maximum entropy and Fourier-analytic/hypercontractivity arguments for lower bounds.
- Extension of maximum entropy argument to general channels using the strong data-processing inequality constant.
Main Results:
- Provided two upper bounds for the guessing ratio for uniform binary vectors over a binary symmetric channel.
- Established lower bounds using maximum entropy and Fourier analysis.
- Derived a general lower bound for binary uniform input channels.
Conclusions:
- The study provides bounds on the guessing ratio, quantifying the value of limited information.
- Conjectures that greedy dictator functions may achieve optimal guessing ratios for certain channels.
- Extends information-theoretic bounds to general memoryless channels.

