Code Computer Science Fundamentals
noun
Definition: In coding theory, a code is a mathematically defined set of strings, vectors, or codewords over a finite alphabet used to represent information, often with the additional purpose of detecting or correcting errors in transmission or storage. In more algorithmic formulations, a code may also be described as an encoding–decoding scheme, that is, a pair of procedures mapping messages into codewords and back [Ravagnani 2025].
Example in context: “In this section, a code is a pair (Enc, Dec) of deterministic encoding and decoding algorithms …” [Silbak et al. 2025]
Synonyms: error-correcting code; encoding scheme; code family
Related terms: codeword; finite alphabet; encoding; decoding; Hamming distance; linear code