Generalized Reed-Muller codes and curves with many points (Q1273721)

A correspondence is established between certain Artin-Schreier curves defined over \(\mathbb F_{q^m}\) and codewords in a generalized Reed-Muller code defined over \(\mathbb F_q\); this extends to a correspondence between fibre products (over \(\mathbb P^1\)) of these Artin-Schreier curves and subcodes of the generalized Reed-Muller code. In these correspondences the number of \(\mathbb F_{q^m}\)-rational points on the curve relates to the weight of the corresponding subcode. Results of \textit{P. Heijnen} and \textit{R. Pellikaan} [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 44, No. 1, 181--196 (1998; Zbl 1053.94581)] then translate to constructions of curves with many \(\mathbb F_{q^m}\)-rational points. Examples are given, in particular a curve of genus 39 over \(\mathbb F_{27}\) with 271 \(\mathbb F_{27}\)-rational points is found, beating the previously best-known value of 244.