Lossless Data Hiding with VQ Indices Encoding Using Genetic Algorithm

The codebook derived from the Vector Quantization (VQ) compression method can be rearranged into rearranged indices (RI), which can then be jointly encoded with encrypted information into a code stream (CS). This feature has garnered significant academic interest for research. Zhang et al. proposed the use of a tabu search algorithm (TSA) for rearranging RI. However, the tabu list might fall into local optimum, potentially making the search not exhaustive. This study proposed the use of a genetic algorithm (GA) for rearrangement, stronger correlations RI is achieved through the processes of crossover, mutation, and selection. Experimental results show that our method delivers an improved bit rate over previous research.