On exact asymptotics of the error probability in channel coding: symmetric channels

Abstract: The exact order of the optimal sub-exponentially decaying factor in the classical bounds on the error probability of fixed-length codes over a Gallager-symmetric discrete memoryless channel with and without ideal feedback is determined. Regardless of the availability of feedback, it is shown that the order of the optimal sub-exponential factor exhibits a dichotomy. Moreover, the proof technique is used to establish the third-order term in the normal approximation for symmetric channels, where a similar dichotomy is shown to exist.