In this primarily expository
paper, we discuss the connections between two popular and useful
tools in theoretical computer science, namely,
universal hashing and pairwise
independent random variables; and classical combinatorial stuctures
such as error-correcting codes, balanced incomplete block designs,
difference matrices
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We consider the size of circuits which perfectly hash
an arbitrary subset $S\!\subset\!\bitset^n$ of cardinality $2^k$
into $\bitset^m$.
We observe that, in general, the size of such circuits is
exponential in $2k-m$,
and provide a matching upper bound.
We consider the following (promise) problem, denoted ED (for Entropy
Difference): The input is a pairs of circuits, and YES instances (resp.,
NO instances) are such pairs in which the first (resp., second) circuit
generates a distribution with noticeably higher entropy.
On one hand we show that any language ... more >>>
Ordered binary decision diagrams (OBDDs) belong to the most important
representation types for Boolean functions. Although they allow
important operations such as satisfiability test and equality test to
be performed efficiently, their limitation lies in the fact, that they
may require exponential size for important functions. Bryant ...
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