On the guaranteed error correction capability of LDPC codes

Abstract: We investigate the relation between the girth and the guaranteed error correction capability of $\gamma$-left regular LDPC codes when decoded using the bit flipping (serial and parallel) algorithms. A lower bound on the number of variable nodes which expand by a factor of at least $3 \gamma/4$ is found based on the Moore bound. An upper bound on the guaranteed correction capability is established by studying the sizes of smallest possible trapping sets.