Lattice polytopes in coding theory (Q307910)

Choosing any linear ordering \(\{P_1,\ldots,P_n\}\) of the points in the algebraic torus \({\mathbb T}^m=\big({\mathbb F}_q^*\big)^m\) over a finite field \({\mathbb F}_q\), whence \(n=(q-1)^m\), and fixing a lattice polytope \(P\subseteq {\mathbb R}^m\), let \({\mathcal L}(P)\) denote the \({\mathbb F}_q\)-vector space of polynomials spanned by the monomials \(t^u\), with vector exponent \(u\in P\cap {\mathbb Z}^n\). The corresponding \textit{toric code} \({\mathcal C}_P\) is the image of the evaluation map \({\mathcal L}(P)\rightarrow {\mathbb F}_q^n\) given by \(f\mapsto (f(P_1),\ldots,f(P_n))\). Hence, the length of \({\mathcal C}_P\) is \(n=(q-1)^m\), and if the polytope \(P\subseteq [0,q-1]^m\), then the dimension of \({\mathcal C}_P\) is the number of lattice points of the polytope \(k=|P\cap{\mathbb Z}^m|\). The main problem is to determine the minimum distance \(d\) of the code \({\mathcal C}_P\). After surveying some known facts on toric codes and some generalizations, especially for bounds on the minimum distance of the codes \({\mathcal C}_P\), the author considers the estimation of this minimum distance by relating it to a combinatorial invariant associated to the lattice polytope \(P\), namely its \textit{Minkowski length}. As an application the author obtains an inductive bound for the minimum distance of some generalized toric codes and formulas for this minimum distance in special cases of lattice points configurations.