Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) Exam  >  Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) Questions  >  A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of... Start Learning for Free
A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum when
  • a)
    all probabilities are equal
  • b)
    one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zero
  • c)
    the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2
  • d)
    the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zero
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maxim...
Answer : 
  • a)
    all probabilities are equal
The entropy of the source will be maximum when. all probabilities are equal. 
one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zero
.

View all questions of this test
Most Upvoted Answer
A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maxim...
Explanation:

Entropy is a measure of uncertainty or randomness associated with a random variable. In information theory, entropy is used to measure the amount of information contained in a message or a signal. The entropy of a source is a measure of the average amount of information per symbol produced by the source.

In the given question, the source generates 4 messages. Let us consider the different options and calculate the entropy for each of them.

Option A: All probabilities are equal

If all probabilities are equal, then each message has a probability of 1/4. The entropy of the source can be calculated as:

H = - (1/4) log2 (1/4) - (1/4) log2 (1/4) - (1/4) log2 (1/4) - (1/4) log2 (1/4) = 2 bits/symbol

Option B: One of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zero

If one of the probabilities is equal to 1, then the other three probabilities are zero. This means that only one message can be generated by the source. The entropy of the source in this case is zero because there is no uncertainty or randomness associated with the source.

Option C: The probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2

If the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2, then the entropy of the source can be calculated as:

H = - (1/2) log2 (1/2) - (1/4) log2 (1/4) - (1/2) log2 (1/2) - 0 = 1.5 bits/symbol

Option D: The two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zero

If two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and the other two probabilities are zero, then only two messages can be generated by the source. The entropy of the source in this case is 1 bit/symbol because there is only one bit of uncertainty associated with the source.

Conclusion:

From the above calculations, we can conclude that the entropy of the source will be maximum when all probabilities are equal (Option A). This is because in this case, all messages are equally likely to occur, and there is maximum uncertainty or randomness associated with the source.
Attention Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) Students!
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE).
Explore Courses for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) exam

Top Courses for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)

A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) 2024 is part of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) exam syllabus. Information about A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE). Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice A source generates 4 messages. The entropy of the source will be maximum whena)all probabilities are equalb)one of the probabilities equal to 1 and two others are zeroc)the probabilities are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/2d)the two of the probabilities are 1/2 each and other zeroCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) tests.
Explore Courses for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) exam

Top Courses for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev