A block coding algorithm for forward error correction (FEC). Reed-Solomon works by viewing the data as a polynomial, which it analyzes and organizes into symbols, which it groups into blocks, to each of which it adds parity bits to form codewords. For example, RS (255,223) is byteoriented, working with 8-bit symbols. Each codeword contains 255 code word bytes comprising 223 data symbols and 32 parity symbols. See also algorithm, block, block code, byte, code, FEC, parity bit, and symbol.