Burst error correction extensions for large Reed Solomon codes

Reed Solomon codes are powerful error correcting codes that include some of the best random and burst correcting codes currently known. It is well known that an (n,k) Reed Solomon code can correct up to (n - k)/2 errors. Many applications utilizing Reed Solomon codes require corrections of errors consisting primarily of bursts. In this paper, it is shown that the burst correcting ability of Reed Solomon codes can be increased beyond (n - k)/2 with an acceptable probability of miscorrect.