The Berlekamp-Massey Algorithm and the Euclidean Algorithm: a Closer Link

The two primary decoding algorithms for Reed-Solomon codes are the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm and the Sugiyama et al. adaptation of the Euclidean algorithm, both designed to solve a key equation. In this article an alternative version of the key equation and a new way to use the Euclidean algorithm to solve it are presented, which yield the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm. This results in a new, simpler, and compacter presentation of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm.