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Soft decision decoding is a decoding method which can cut the decoding error probability as compared with hard decision decoding by utilizing the channel measurement information effectively. In this paper, a new soft decision decoding method by which decoding operations can be efficiently carried out by utilizing the hierarchy of linear block codes is proposed. In addition, an improved algorithm which can reduce significantly the maximum computational complexity is also proposed. The proposed decoding algorithm utilizing the hierarchical structure of codes is a decoding method by which decoding is carried out sequentially from codes with high coding rates or codes of higher hierarchy in the inclusion order, and soft decision decoding can be efficiently carried out by utilizing a number of classes of codes having inclusion relationships in a manner which is superior to Chase algorithm 2 in the decoding error probability and the computational complexity for decoding. Computer simulation results confirm that the proposed algorithm realizes decoding error probability characteristics close to those of the maximum likelihood decoding method and that decoding can be carried out efficiently at a lower computational complexity than Chase algorithm 2 when the SNR is large. In addition, the improved algorithm which can reduce significantly the maximum computational complexity can realize decoding error probability characteristics close to those of the maximum likelihood decoding method on practical communication channels with relatively large SNR. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 83(3): 108–114, 2000 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]