Subspaces in \(d\)-bounded distance-regular graphs and their applications (Q2426435)

\textit{C.-W. Weng} [Eur. J. Comb. 18, No. 2, 211--229 (1997; Zbl 0869.05025), and J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 76, No. 1, 93--116 (1999; Zbl 0938.05067)] studied \(d\)-bounded distance-regular graphs with diameter \(d\) and their subspaces. This paper deals with such graphs \(\Gamma\) of diameter \(d(\Gamma)=d\geq 3\). For a vertex \(x\) let \(P(x)\) denote the set of all subspaces in \(\Gamma\) containing \(x\). Let \(0\leq t\leq i+t\), \(j+t\leq i+j+t\leq d_1\leq d\) and suppose that \(\Delta\) and \(\Delta^*\) are subspaces with diameter \(i+t\) and \(d_1\) in \(P(x)\), respectively. In the case \(\Delta\subseteq\Delta^*\) the authors determine the number of subspaces \(\Delta'\) with diameter \(j+t\) such that \(d(\Delta\cap\Delta')=t\) and \(d(\Delta+\Delta')=i+j+t\). These subspaces are used to construct a new Cartesian authentication code.