Generalized minimum distance functions and algebraic invariants of Geramita ideals (Q2280053)

Inspired by the notion of generalized (Hamming) minimum distance (GMD) of a linear error-correcting code \(C\),\, defined over a field \(K\),\, see [\textit{V. K. Wei}, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 37, No. 5, 1412--1418 (1991; Zbl 0735.94008)] the authors transfer and study that concept in the context of commutative algebra. For so doing the paper begins interpreting the generalized distance \(\delta_r(C)\)\, in terms of an ideal \(I\subset K[t_1,\dots,t_s]\)\, generated by the columns of a \(s \times n\)\, generator matrix of \(C\). This allows to define \(\delta_I(d,r)\)\, the GMD function of any graded ideal \(I\)\, of \(S=K[t_1,\dots,t_s]=\bigoplus_{d=0} ^\infty S_d\). Section 2 gathers some necessary concepts and results of Commutative Algebra, in particular the notion of the footprint of an ideal and Section 3 studies the \(\delta_I(d,r)\)\, for a graded ideal \(I\). Theorem 3.9 proves that the generalized footprint \(fp_I(d,r)\)\, provides a lower bound for \(\delta_I(d,r)\)\, and that \(\delta_I(d,r)\)\, is non-decreasing as a function of \(r\)\, and non-increasing as a function of \(d\). Section 4 gives an inequality generalizing the Singleton bound for the minimum distance in the case \(I\)\, a Geramita ideal (an unmixed graded ideal of dimension 1 whose associated primes are generated by linear forms). Section 5 studies the case of projective Reed-Muller-type codes and finally Section 6 considers some proprieties and conjectures for the minimum distance \(\delta_I(d)=\delta_I(d,1)\)\, when \(I\)\, is a complete intersection ideal.