Near MDS codes with dimension 4 and their application in locally recoverable codes (Q6169007)

Maximum distance separable (MDS) codes are \([n,k,d]\) codes that meet the Singleton bound \(n\geq k+d-1.\) A near MDS (NMDS) code have minimum distance \(d=n-k\) and also its dual \(C^\bot\) almost meets the Singleton bound. For a block code, if any symbol in the encoding is a function of \(r\) other symbols, then this code is called a locally recoverable code (LRC for short) with locality \(r.\) Several infinite families of near MDS codes with dimension four are constructed with special matrixes and oval polynomials. Working in the field \(\mathbb{F}_q = \{\alpha_0=0,\alpha_1 = 1,\ldots, \alpha_{q-1}\},\) the first family has parameters \([q+3,4,q-1]\) arising from the generator matrix \(G_1=\left( \begin{array}{ccccccc} 1 & \cdots &1 & 1 & 0 & 0& 0\\ \alpha_1 & \cdots & \alpha_{q-1} & 0 & 1 & 0& 0\\ \alpha_1^2 & \cdots & \alpha_{q-1}^2 & 0 & 0 & 1& 0\\ \alpha_1^4 & \cdots & \alpha_{q-1}^4 & 0 & 0 & 0& 1\\ \end{array}\right).\) The NMDS property of this family is proven and its weight distribution is derived. The next family is generated by a \(4\times (q+3)\) matrix \(G_2\) that results from \(G_1\) by removing its last column. The authors show the parameters of these codes are \([q + 2,4,q - 2]\) thus showing the NMDS property. The weight distribution of this family is also found. The third family consist of NMDS codes with parameters \([q+1,4,q-3]\) generated by the matrix \(G_3\) that results from \(G_2\) by removing its last column. As an application, the duals of these near NMDS families of codes are proved to be both distance-optimal and dimension-optimal locally recoverable codes. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1516.11002].