Next-generation communication systems face challenges in meeting the growing demand of ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), which require advanced physical-layer designs, especially in channel coding. To satisfy the strict reliability and latency constraints of URLLC in 5G and emerging 6G networks, it is essential to use short codes with robust error-correction capabilities. This thesis explores the application of deep learning methodologies to develop advanced channel coding frameworks for short linear block codes. First, I propose a novel decoding algorithm for short block codes based on an edge-weighted graph neural network (EW-GNN). The EW-GNN decoder operates on the Tanner graph with an iterative message-passing structure, algorithmically aligning with conventional belief propagation (BP) decoding. The decoder is characterized by scalability, with trainable parameters independent of codeword length, and outperforms BP and existing deep-learning-based methods. I present a novel auto-encoder integrating deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and graph neural networks (GNN) for end-to-end channel coding. Code generation is modeled as a Markov decision process to optimize error rates and algebraic properties. An iterative joint training of the DRL-based code designer and the EW-GNN decoder is performed to optimise the end-to-end encoding and decoding process. Simulation results show significant improvements over traditional coding schemes including LDPC and BCH codes. Finally, I design a supervised learning framework using an integrated auto-encoder architecture with a systematic code generator and matrix-based adaptive double-weighted (MA-DW) decoder. This approach achieves superior performance compared to conventional systems while reducing training complexity through joint optimization of code design and decoding parameters.
Next-generation communication systems face challenges in meeting the growing demand of ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), which require advanced physical-layer designs, especially in channel coding. To satisfy the strict reliability and latency constraints of URLLC in 5G and emerging 6G networks, it is essential to use short codes with robust error-correction capabilities. This thesis explores the application of deep learning methodologies to develop advanced channel coding frameworks for short linear block codes. First, I propose a novel decoding algorithm for short block codes based on an edge-weighted graph neural network (EW-GNN). The EW-GNN decoder operates on the Tanner graph with an iterative message-passing structure, algorithmically aligning with conventional belief propagation (BP) decoding. The decoder is characterized by scalability, with trainable parameters independent of codeword length, and outperforms BP and existing deep-learning-based methods. I present a novel auto-encoder integrating deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and graph neural networks (GNN) for end-to-end channel coding. Code generation is modeled as a Markov decision process to optimize error rates and algebraic properties. An iterative joint training of the DRL-based code designer and the EW-GNN decoder is performed to optimise the end-to-end encoding and decoding process. Simulation results show significant improvements over traditional coding schemes including LDPC and BCH codes. Finally, I design a supervised learning framework using an integrated auto-encoder architecture with a systematic code generator and matrix-based adaptive double-weighted (MA-DW) decoder. This approach achieves superior performance compared to conventional systems while reducing training complexity through joint optimization of code design and decoding parameters.
This paper presents a novel auto-encoder based end-to-end channel encoding and decoding. It integrates deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and graph neural networks (GNN) in code design by modeling the generation of code parity-check matrices as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), to optimize key coding performance metrics such as error-rates and code algebraic properties. An edge-weighted GNN (EW-GNN) decoder is proposed, which operates on the Tanner graph with an iterative message-passing structure. Once trained on a single linear block code, the EW-GNN decoder can be directly used to decode other linear block codes of different code lengths and code rates. An iterative joint training of the DRL-based code designer and the EW-GNN decoder is performed to optimize the end-end encoding and decoding process. Simulation results show the proposed auto-encoder significantly surpasses several traditional coding schemes at short block lengths, including low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes with the belief propagation (BP) decoding and the maximum-likelihood decoding (MLD), and BCH with BP decoding, offering superior error-correction capabilities while maintaining low decoding complexity.
In this work, we propose a novel decoding algorithm for short block codes based on an edge-weighted graph neural network (EW-GNN). The EW-GNN decoder operates on the Tanner graph with an iterative message-passing structure, which algorithmically aligns with the conventional belief propagation (BP) decoding method. In each iteration, the “weight” on the message passed along each edge is obtained from a fully connected neural network that has the reliability information from nodes/edges as its input. Compared to existing deep-learning-based decoding schemes, the EW-GNN decoder is characterised by its scalability, meaning that 1) the number of trainable parameters is independent of the codeword length, and 2) an EW-GNN decoder trained with shorter/simple codes can be directly used for longer/sophisticated codes of different code rates. Furthermore, simulation results show that the EW-GNN decoder outperforms the BP and deep-learning-based BP methods from the literature in terms of the decoding error rate.
Abstract In the evolving landscape of wireless communication, particularly in Beyond 5G (B5G) systems, channel coding must meet increasingly demanding requirements for reliability, adaptability, and low latency. Traditional decoding algorithms such as Belief Propagation (BP), while effective in structured environments, lack the flexibility to adapt to dynamic and noisy channel conditions. This paper presents a novel Graph Neural Network (GNN)-based approach for decoding Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes, leveraging the inherent bipartite graph structure of Tanner graphs. The proposed decoder learns data-driven message-passing strategies that outperform BP across a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and block lengths.Our implementation integrates Python-based GNN modeling with MATLAB-based LDPC encoding and benchmarks the decoding performance under additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. Experimental results demonstrate that the GNN-based decoder achieves significantly lower bit error rates (BER), faster convergence, and superior robustness to noise variability compared to BP, particularly at medium-to-high SNR levels. Furthermore, an ablation study validates the architectural efficiency of shallow GNNs with attention mechanisms and skip connections. This work highlights the potential of machine learning-enhanced decoders in redefining the physical layer of next-generation wireless networks and sets the foundation for scalable, adaptive, and intelligent decoding systems in B5G and 6G architectures.
In this work, we propose a fully differentiable graph neural network (GNN)-based architecture for channel decoding and showcase a competitive decoding performance for various coding schemes, such as low-density parity-check (LDPC) and BCH codes. The idea is to let a neural network (NN) learn a generalized message passing algorithm over a given graph that represents the forward error correction (FEC) code structure by replacing node and edge message updates with trainable functions. Contrary to many other deep learning-based decoding approaches, the proposed solution enjoys scalability to arbitrary block lengths and the training is not limited by the curse of dimensionality. We benchmark our proposed decoder against state-of-the-art in conventional channel decoding as well as against recent deep learning-based results. For the (63,45) BCH code, our solution outperforms weighted belief propagation (BP) decoding by approximately 0.4 dB with significantly less decoding iterations and even for 5G NR LDPC codes, we observe a competitive performance when compared to conventional BP decoding. For the BCH codes, the resulting GNN decoder can be fully parametrized with only 9640 weights.
With changing scenarios in Beyond 5G (B5G) systems, channel coding methods will be faced with stronger requirements for reliability, flexibility, and low latency.Conventional decoding algorithms such as Belief Propagation (BP) are efficient in structured contexts but not sufficiently flexible to respond effectively to dynamic and noisy channel conditions.In this study, we introduces a new Graph Neural Network (GNN)-based solution to decode Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes by taking advantage of the intrinsic bipartite graph representation of Tanner graphs.The proposed decoder learns a data-driven messagepassing algorithm that performs better than BP over a large range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and block lengths.The experimental results show that the GNN-based decoder yields much lower bit error rates (BER), faster convergence, and better resistance to noise variability than belief propagation, especially at medium to high SNR levels.Thus, our findings highlight the foundation for scalable, adaptive, and intelligent decoding systems in B5G and 6G architectures.
Wireless communication is rapidly evolving, and this evolution has led to increasing demands for better error correction, lower latency, and higher adaptability, particularly in Beyond 5G (B5G) networks. Traditional channel coding methods like Low-density Parity-check (LDPC) and Turbo codes often struggle to meet these advanced requirements. To address this challenge, we explore the use of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to enhance LDPC decoding. By imposing the structured nature of the Tanner graph, GNNs improve decoding accuracy, optimize bit error rate (BER), and adapt to changing signal conditions in real-time. We implement and evaluate our approach using MATLAB and Python, training our ML-based decoder on varying SNR levels to ensure robustness. The results show that integrating machine learning into LDPC decoding significantly enhances error correction and communication reliability. This work highlights the potential of ML-driven techniques in shaping the future of wireless networks.