  A variation of Gallager error-correcting codes is investigated using
statistical mechanics. In codes of this type, a given message is encoded into a
codeword which comprises Boolean sums of message bits selected by two randomly
constructed sparse matrices. The similarity of these codes to Ising spin
systems with random interaction makes it possible to assess their typical
performance by analytical methods developed in the study of disordered systems.
The typical case solutions obtained via the replica method are consistent with
those obtained in simulations using belief propagation (BP) decoding. We
discuss the practical implications of the results obtained and suggest a
computationally efficient construction for one of the more practical
configurations.
