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From: pitaro@savax.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.crypt,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sources.wanted
Subject: Re: Need information on data compression algorithms
Message-ID: <528@savax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-Apr-87 12:35:21 EST
Article-I.D.: savax.528
Posted: Sun Apr  5 12:35:21 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 6-Apr-87 01:41:49 EST
Organization: Sanders Associates Inc., Nashua, NH
Lines: 27
Xref: utgpu sci.crypt:288 comp.sys.ibm.pc:2739 comp.sources.wanted:850

>> Once apon a time, about five years ago, a UK company called DJAI, (the
>> authors of The Last One - a 4GL program generator) said that they had an
>> algorithm which would (reversibly) compress arbitrary text into 40-80 bytes.
>> They even had a demonstration system which claimed to show the algorithm in
>> operation.  
>>
>> They planned to demonstrate the system by compressing the complete source
>> text of The Last One, copying the <80 bytes to a hand-held micro with a
>> printer, then decompressing and producing the total listing from the micro.
>>
>> I expect the algorithm has been suppressed by the UK MoD :-)

 > This is a facinating story...  Anyone else ever hear about this?
 > Anyone know -anything- (or have any guesses) about the algorithm?

My guess is that it only handles certain text, ie those in it's
list.  If the text is indexed in the list then it prints it out
otherwise it stops with an error.  The "arbitrary text" this algorithm
compresses is arbitrary as long as it's in the database.  Or maybe
it's a hoax.  What was the date on the original article? 4-1-87 maybe :-)

	Michael Pitaro

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