Split weight enumerators for the Preparata codes with applications to designs (Q1591640)

The main results of this paper are that for quaternary Preparata and Kerdock codes of length \(N=2^m\) where \(m\) is odd, the split complete weight enumerator for a coordinate partition into 3 and \(N-3\) coordinates is independent of the chosen partition. The result implies that the words of given complete weight in either such a Preparata code or such a Kerdock code define a 3-design. The paper starts with some observations on the complete weight enumerator of the Kerdock code (more specific that it can be found in the authors' reference [\textit{A. R. Hammons}, \textit{P. V. Kumar}, \textit{A. R. Calderbank}, \textit{N. J. A. Sloane} and \textit{P. Solé}, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 40, 301-319 (1994; Zbl 0811.94039)]) and that the complete weight enumerator for Preparata codes can be found by applying the MacWilliams transform to that of the Kerdock codes. Moreover, some terms of low weight of the complete weight enumerator for Preparata codes can be calculated directly. Next a characterization of the cosets of Preparata codes (including low weight terms of their weight-enumerator) is derived. Using this characterization and some knowledge on the complete weight-enumerator of cosets of Preparata codes the main result for Kerdock codes is obtained. A similar approach in order to derive the main result for Preparata codes fails since the coset structure of Kerdock codes is far more complicated. For symmetrized weight enumerators however the same approach can be used for both Kerdock codes and Preparata codes. The result on the symmetrized weight enumerator for Preparata codes can also be obtained using an inductive line of reasoning. This line of reasoning can be extended in order to obtain the main result on the complete weight enumerator of Preparata codes.