This introduction to arithmetic coding is divided in two parts. The first explains how and why arithmetic coding works. We start presenting it in very general terms, so that its simplicity is not lost under layers of implementation details. Next, we show some of its basic properties, which are later used in the computational techniques required for a practical implementation. In the second part, we cover the practical implementation aspects, including arithmetic operations with low precision, the subdivision of coding and modeling, and the realization of adaptive encoders. We also analyze the arithmetic coding computational complexity, and techniques to reduce it.

翻译：本算术编码导论分为两部分。第一部分解释算术编码的工作原理及其成因。我们以极为概括的方式展开阐述，避免实现细节掩盖其简明性。随后展示其若干基本性质，这些性质将应用于实际实现所需的计算技术中。第二部分涵盖实际实现层面，包括低精度算术运算、编码与建模的分离、以及自适应编码器的实现。我们还分析了算术编码的计算复杂度及其降低技术。