Huffman compression
nounUK /ˈhʌfmən kəmˈprɛʃən/
US /ˈhʌfmən kəmˈprɛʃən/
A way to make computer files smaller by giving the most common letters or symbols the shortest codes.
The photo app uses Huffman compression to shrink pictures before saving them.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A lossless method, meaning the original data can be rebuilt exactly after shrinking.
Because Huffman compression is lossless, the text file looked exactly the same after it was unpacked.
3. A technique often used inside file formats like ZIP, JPEG, and MP3.
The ZIP tool quietly applies Huffman compression to each file in the archive.
4. A coding scheme built from a tree where frequent symbols sit near the top.
In the Huffman compression tree, the letter 'e' got a much shorter path than the letter 'z'.