Why do computers waste space by storing standard English text as eight bits per character?
In short: Computers typically use eight bits to represent every character in English text. This video explores why this standard exists, how we might store information more efficiently, and the mechanics of Huffman coding and Huffman trees.
While eight bits per character is the standard for storing English text, it is not the most efficient method available. Huffman coding and Huffman trees provide a way to compress data by fitting more text into less space.
The video examines these compression techniques to explain how computers can optimize storage beyond the conventional eight-bit approach.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How Computers Compress Text: Huffman Coding and Huffman Trees
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