What is the difference between lossless and lossy compression?

Lossless and lossy compression are two different methods used to reduce the size of files, but they achieve this in different ways:

Lossless Compression:

• Data Integrity: Lossless compression reduces file size without losing any data. The original data can be perfectly reconstructed after decompression.
• File Size: The reduction in file size is typically less significant compared to lossy compression.
• Use Cases: Ideal for text documents, software, and any data where maintaining the original quality is crucial.
• Examples: PNG images, ZIP files, FLAC audio files.

Lossy Compression:

• Data Loss: Lossy compression reduces file size by permanently removing some of the original data. This can result in a loss of quality.
• File Size: The reduction in file size is more significant compared to lossless compression.
• Use Cases: Suitable for multimedia files like images, audio, and video where a slight loss in quality might be acceptable for the benefit of smaller file sizes.
• Examples: JPEG images, MP3 audio files, MPEG video files.

In summary, lossless compression is used when you need to preserve the original data perfectly, while lossy compression is used when a smaller file size is more important than maintaining the highest quality.