Commutative algebra methods for coding theory (Q6566920)

This book gathers concepts and materials of commutative algebra (and algebraic geometry and combinatorics) used in the theory of error-correcting codes.\N\NA linear code \(\mathcal{C}\)\, of dimension \(k\)\, and length \(n\)\, is a \(k\)-dimensional subspace of the vector space \(K^n\),\, \(K\)\, a finite field, \lq \lq but for the theoretical purposes of this book, we can assume that \(K\)\, is any field''. Therefore \(\mathcal{C}\)\, is characterized by a \(k\times n\)\, matrix, the generator matrix.\N\NThere is another important parameter of \(\mathcal{C}\),\, the minimum Hamming distance \(d\)\, (other distances used in coding theory, as the rank metric distance, are not considered here). That parameter is important for the detection and correcting capability of \(\mathcal{C}\). The need of codes with ``good'' distance (and also with an efficient decoding algorithm) motivated the search of ``good'' families of codes, using a panoply of algebraic tools, families as Reed-Solomon codes, Reed-Muller codes or algebraic geometric codes.\N\NThe Introduction describes two main tools that will be developed in the book. The first idea is to take the dual linear form associated with each column of a generator matrix \(G\)\, of \(\mathcal{C}\). One has then a hyperplane arrangement which, for instance, allows to characterize the generalized Hamming weights of \(\mathcal{C}\). The \(a\)-fold (\(1\le a\le n\)) products of those dual forms define ideals with algebraic properties to be studied.\N\NThe second idea is to consider the columns of \(G\)\, as projective points in \(\mathbb{P}^{k-1}\)\, and analyze the algebraic properties of these set of points.\N\NChapter 2 summarizes the necessary background on coding theory, commutative algebra and combinatorics.\N\NChapter 3 studies the ideal generated by a fold product of dual linear forms, ideal that determines the distance \(d(\mathcal{C})\)\, and also the generalized distances. The section also considers the primary decomposition of these ideals which have relation with the minimal codewords of \(\mathcal{C}\).\N\NChapter 4 deals with the second method mentioned in the Introduction: to take the columns of a generator matrix of \(\mathcal{C}\)\, as projective points and to derive lower bounds for the minimum distance of the code.\N\NChapter 5 deals with evaluation codes. 5.1 shows some particular cases: Reed-Muller, algebraic-geometric or affine variety codes, 5.2 describe general evaluation codes, 5.3 studies parameterized codes and 5.4 the affine cartesian codes.\N\NThrough the book the obtained results are illustrated with numerical examples. The book also provides an extensive bibliography (178 items).