  Spatially-coupled LDPC codes are known to have excellent asymptotic
properties. Much less is known regarding their finite-length performance. We
propose a scaling law to predict the error probability of finite-length
spatially-coupled ensembles when transmission takes place over the binary
erasure channel. We discuss how the parameters of the scaling law are connected
to fundamental quantities appearing in the asymptotic analysis of these
ensembles and we verify that the predictions of the scaling law fit well to the
data derived from simulations over a wide range of parameters. The ultimate
goal of this line of research is to develop analytic tools for the design of
spatially-coupled LDPC codes under practical constraints.
