Lossless

Lossless

Lossless is a term used in digital data compression to describe a class of compression algorithms that allow the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data. In other words, lossless compression reduces the size of a file without any loss of quality or information. This is in contrast to lossy compression, which permanently removes some data from the original file to achieve higher compression ratios at the cost of reduced quality. Lossless compression is commonly used for text, documents, executable files, and source code, where the integrity of the original data is critical. It is also used in certain image and audio formats, such as PNG, FLAC, and ALAC, which prioritize quality over file size. The most common lossless compression algorithms include Run-Length Encoding (RLE), Huffman coding, Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW), and DEFLATE. These algorithms exploit statistical redundancy and patterns in the data to represent it more efficiently, using techniques like dictionary coding, entropy encoding, and prediction by partial matching. The effectiveness of lossless compression varies depending on the type and structure of the data being compressed. Highly structured or repetitive data, such as text or simple graphics, can achieve significant compression ratios, while more complex or random data, like encrypted files or already compressed data, may see little to no reduction in size.

data compression, file size reduction, no quality loss, perfect reconstruction, text compression, image compression, audio compression, statistical redundancy, dictionary coding, entropy encoding

— John Armstrong

CITATION : "John Armstrong. 'Lossless.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=434156 (Accessed on June 07, 2025)"