On the Geil-Matsumoto bound and the length of AG codes (Q2436571)

The article is concerned with upper bounds on the number of rational places of degree one of a function field \(F\) over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) of genus \(g\), where \(\mathbb{F}_q\) is the finite field of \(q\) elements. Let \(N_q(g)\) be the number of rational places of degree one of \(F\). By the Serre refinement of the Hasse-Weil bound it follows that \[ N_q(g)\leq S_q(g):=q+1+g\lfloor 2\sqrt{q}\rfloor. \] Consider the Weierstrass semigroup \(\Lambda\) of any such place, i.e., the set of pole orders of the rational functions having only poles at that place. Define \(N_q(\Lambda)\) as the maximum number of rational places of degree one of a function field over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) having \(\Lambda\) as the Weierstrass semigroup at one of its places of degree one. In [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 69, No. 2, 177--183 (1990; Zbl 0723.11061)], \textit{J. Lewittes} has shown that \[ N_q(\Lambda)\leq L_q(\Lambda):=q\lambda_1+1, \] where \(\lambda_1\) is the first non-zero element of \(\Lambda\). This bound was refined in [\textit{O. Geil} and \textit{R. Matsumoto}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 213, No. 6, 1152--1156 (2009; Zbl 1180.14018)]. The corresponding bound \(\mathrm{GM}_q(\Lambda)\) is stronger than Lewittes' bound \(L_q(\Lambda)\) but harder to compute. In the paper under review a simple closed formula for expressing the Geil-Matsumoto bound \(\mathrm{GM}_q(\Lambda)\) is obtained when the Weierstrass semigroup \(\Lambda\) is generated by two integers. Then the semigroups where the Geil-Matsumoto and the Lewittes bounds coincide are analyzed. In [Des. Codes Cryptography 66, No. 1--3, 221--230 (2013; Zbl 1262.14022)], \textit{P. Beelen} and \textit{D. Ruano} proved that if \(q\in\Lambda\), then both bounds coincide. Combining this result and the formula mentioned before, the authors conclude that if \(\Lambda=\langle a,b\rangle\), then \(\mathrm{GM}_q(\Lambda)=L_q(\Lambda)\) if and only if \(q\leq \lfloor\frac{q}{a}\rfloor b\). These results are generalized to semigroups with an arbitrary number of generators. Finally, certain cases where the computation of the Geil-Matsumoto bound \(\mathrm{GM}_q(\Lambda)\) can be simplified are characterized.