Successive decoding scheme for memoryless channels

In this paper a new decoding scheme for random convolutional codes is described. This scheme is different from other effective decoding schemes, such as sequential decoding [1] and low-density parity check codes [2]. The new scheme yields (for a certain region of information rates) an upper bound on the average number of computations which is {em independent} of the coding constraint length. Furthermore, unlike sequential decoding, a bound on the total number of computations (rather than just on the "incorrect subset") is derived in this paper.