Single-Unicast Secure Network Coding and Network Error Correction are as Hard as Multiple-Unicast Network Coding

Abstract

This paper reduces multiple-unicast network coding to single-unicast secure network coding and single-unicast network error correction. Specifically, we present reductions that map an arbitrary multiple-unicast network coding instance to a unicast secure network coding instance in which at most one link is eavesdropped, or a unicast network error correction instance in which at most one link is erroneous, such that a rate tuple is achievable in the multiple-unicast network coding instance if and only if a corresponding rate is achievable in the unicast secure network coding instance, or in the unicast network error correction instance. Conversely, we show that an arbitrary unicast secure network coding instance in which at most one link is eavesdropped can be reduced back to a multiple-unicast network coding instance. In addition, we show that the capacity of a unicast network error correction instance in general is not (exactly) achievable.

Additional details