Proofs of two conjectures on the dimensions of binary codes (Q2439731)

A non-degenerate conic \(\mathbf O\) in \(\mathrm{PG}(2, q)\) is a set of \(q + 1\) points that satisfy a non-degenerate quadratic form. No three points of \(\mathbf O\) are collinear thus making \(\mathbf O\) an oval of \(\mathrm{PG}(2, q)\), and a well-known result of Segre asserts that ovals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2, q)\) with \(q\) odd arise precisely in this manner. Let \(B\) denote the binary matrix corresponding to the incidence between external points (those that lie on two tangent lines) versus passant lines of \(\mathbf O\) and \(B_0\) denote the binary matrix corresponding to the incidence between internal points (those that lie on no tangent line) versus the secant lines. Then \(B\) is a \(\frac{q(q+1)}{2} \times \frac{q(q-1)}{2}\) binary matrix while \(B_0\) is a \(\frac{q(q-1)}{2} \times \frac{q(q+1)}{2}\) binary matrix. Let \(\mathbf L\) and \(\mathbf L_0\) denote the binary linear codes generated by the column null space of \(B\) and \(B_0\) respectively. Confirming a conjecture of Droms et. al. the author proves that the rank of \(\mathbf L\) is \(\frac{q^2-1}{4} - q\) if \(q \equiv 1 \pmod4\) and is \(\frac{q^2-1}{4} - q + 1\) if \(q \equiv 3 \pmod4\) while the rank of \(\mathbf L_0\) is \(\frac{q^2-1}{4}\) if \(q \equiv 1 \pmod4\) and is \(\frac{q^2-1}{4} + 1\) if \(q \equiv 3 \pmod4\). The proof technique is both combinatorial and uses modular forms via Brauer's theory of characters.