George C. Papen is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. Richard E. Blahut is the Emeritus Henry Magnuski Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, having served as the Department Head from 2001 to 2008. He has authored a series of advanced textbooks on the mathematical aspects of theoretical informatics, is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).