1. In the storage of digital data, reduction, by the use of one or more appropriate algorithms, of the amount of data to be stored, in such a manner that the original data may be recovered precisely; i.e., in the exact original form. Note: The actual algorithm (s) applied to a given set of data may depend on the application (and hence, the statistical properties) of the data, e. G. , for image storage. 2. An analogous real-time process applied to the transmission of digital data, with the objective of reducing the amount of data that need be transmitted per unit time; i.e., data rate, without compromising the ability to completely restore the data. 3. A digital image compression technique that allows for the removal of redundant bits without a resulting loss of image quality.