A Transform Approach for Computing the Ranks of Parity-Check Matrices of Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes

Several classes of quasi-cyclic LDPC codes have been proposed in the literature and shown to have excellent performance over noisy channels when decoded with iterative message-passing algorithms. However, by and large, important properties of the codes, including their dimensions, are only given for specific codes based on computer programming. Using Fourier transforms, it is shown that the ranks of parity-check matrices of quasi-cyclic codes can be computed. From these ranks, the dimensions of the codes can be determined. The approach, which unifies most of the known algebraic constructions, is given in detail for three large classes of quasi-cyclic LDPC codes which appear in the literature.