Refers to a class of linear error-correcting data encoding schemes, but is often used to refer to the specific scheme Hamming(7,4) invented in 1950 by Richard W. Hamming.
In telecommunication theory, Hamming codes refer to a family of linear error-correcting codes that generalize the Hamming(7,4)-code invented by Richard Hamming in 1950. Hamming codes can detect up to two-bit errors or correct one-bit errors without detection of uncorrected errors. By contrast, the simple parity code cannot correct errors, and can detect only an odd number of bits in error. Hamming codes are perfect codes, that is, they achieve the highest possible rate for codes with their block length and minimum distance 3.1
- I basically ripped this out of the wikipedia page.
