Successive refinement of information: characterization of the achievable rates

Abstract

Let R(/spl middot/) be the rate-distortion function. Assume that we want to describe a source with distortion no larger than /spl Delta//sub 1/. From the rate-distortion theory we know that we need to do so at a rate R/sub 1/ no smaller than R(/spl Delta//sub 1/) /spl lsqb/bits/symbol/spl rsqb/. If it turns out that a more accurate description at distortion /spl Delta//sub 2/, /spl Delta//sub 2/>