Computer Science – Data storage and compression | e-Consult

Original file size: The original file contains 6 numbers, each requiring a certain amount of storage (e.g., 4 bytes if each number is a 32-bit integer). Let's assume each number takes 4 bytes, so the original file size is 6 * 4 = 24 bytes.

Compressed file size: The compressed file contains the string "2 4 8 16 32 64; 2; 2; 2; 2; 2". This consists of 12 characters. Assuming each character takes 1 byte, the compressed file size is 12 bytes.

Compression Ratio: Compression Ratio = (Original File Size / Compressed File Size) = 24 bytes / 12 bytes = 2. This means the compressed file is 1/2 the size of the original file.

Explanation: The compression method achieves a higher compression ratio because it exploits the redundancy in the data. Instead of storing each number individually, it stores the number of times the number repeats (the '2' in this case) and then the number itself. This is more efficient when there are many repetitions of the same value. The original method required storing each number separately, regardless of whether it was a repetition or not. RLE reduces the amount of data needed to represent the same information.