abstract: Factor graphs (or similar graphical models) allow a unified approach to system modeling and algorithms in coding theory, signal processing, machine learning, and other fields. The lecture gives an elementary introduction to these topics with an emphasis on models and algorithms in coding and signal processing. Topics: factor graphs; sum-product and max-product algorithms; hidden-Markov models and forward-backward algorithms; error-correcting codes and decoding by message passing algorithms.
Introduction to factor graphs