  Channel capacity describes the size of the nearly ideal channels, which can
be obtained from many uses of a given channel, using an optimal error
correcting code. In this paper we collect and compare minor and major
variations in the mathematically precise statements of this idea which have
been put forward in the literature. We show that all the variations considered
lead to equivalent capacity definitions. In particular, it makes no difference
whether one requires mean or maximal errors to go to zero, and it makes no
difference whether errors are required to vanish for any sequence of block
sizes compatible with the rate, or only for one infinite sequence.
