On codes with the identifiable parent property (Q1268617)

Suppose \(C\) is a code of length \(n\) over an alphabet \(Q\) containing \(q\) elements and let \(a\) and \(b\) be any two codewords. Then \(c\) is a decendent of \(a\) and \(b\) if \(c_i\) is in \((a_i,b_i)\), for \(i= 1,2,\dots, n\). The authors are interested in codes \(C\) such that given any decendent \(c\), one of the ``parent'' codewords in \(C\) can always be identified. Various bounds on the maximal cardinality of a code \(C\) with the foregoing property are determined.