An Efficient Algorithm for Computing Free Euclidean Distance and Product Distance of TCM Codes

An efficient algorithm for computing the minimum free Euclidean distance and the minimum product distance of irregular TCM codes is described. The algorithm is based on the Viterbi algorithm and it computes the minimum free Euclidean distance and the minimum product distances among all pairs of paths divaning from any initial state and merging into any end state. The algorithm can be applied to search for good TCM codes on Gauss channels and fading channels.