Improved lower bounds for permutation arrays using permutation rational functions (Q2232223)

This paper deals with permutation arrays. These are sets of permutations on \(n\) elements endowed with the Hamming metric. Due to the applications in error-correcting codes and powerline communications, there is a wide interest in determining the largest permutation code on \(n\) elements with given minimum Hamming distance \(d\). Its size is denoted by \(M(n,d)\). In this paper the authors improve known lower bounds for \(M(n,d)\) when \(n \in \{q,q+1\}\) and \(d\in \{q-9, q-7, q-5\}\), for some prime power \(q\). Their approach is based on the use of {permutation rational functions}, that are bijective rational functions on the projective line \(\mathbb P^1(\mathbb F_q)\). In particular, the derived lower bounds rely on counting the number of permutation rational functions on \(\mathbb P^1(\mathbb F_q)\). whose numerator and denominator have fixed degrees. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1470.11003].