On cyclic convolutional codes (Q1876567)

The mathematical theory of convolutional codes is not nearly as developed as that of block codes. This gap is even larger when it comes to the notion of cyclicity. The present paper is a step to minimize this gap by initiating the definition of \(\sigma\)-cyclicity for convolutional codes. In this effort, Piret's results appear to serve as a good basis for a theory of \(\sigma\)-cyclic convolutional codes. The authors construct the (generalized) Piret algebra \(A[z;\sigma]\) and develop the representation of \(\sigma\)-cyclic convolutional codes as left ideals in \(A[z;\sigma]\). Further, the authors give an algebraic and extended version of Piret's main result, which states that \(\sigma\)-cyclic convolutional codes are left principal ideals in \(A[z;\sigma]\). Thereafter the authors investigate as to what extent a generator of a left ideal in \(A[z;\sigma]\) is unique and show how this unique generator can be computed by means of a finite algorithmic procedure. A parity-check polynomial is obtained via (right) annihilator ideals in the Piret algebra. These results are derived by combining the techniques for circulant matrices with the algebraic methods. The present work is certainly a breakthrough in the theory of convolutional codes