Empirical distribution of good channel codes with nonvanishing error probability

This paper studies several properties of channel codes that approach the fundamental limits of a given (discrete or Gaussian) memoryless channel with a nonvanishing probability of error. The output distribution induced by an epsilon -capacity-achieving code is shown to be close in a strong sense to the capacity achieving output distribution. Relying on the concentration of measure (isoperimetry) property enjoyed by the latter, it is shown that regular (Lipschitz) functions of channel outputs can be precisely estimated and turn out to be essentially nonrandom and independent of the actual code. It is also shown that the output distribution of a good code and the capacity achieving one cannot be distinguished with exponential reliability. The random process produced at the output of the channel is shown to satisfy the asymptotic equipartition property.