Geometry of the minimum distance (Q6898869)

Let \(X\subset \mathbb{P}^{k-1}\) be a finite set defined over a field \(K\). For any positive integer \(a\) let \(R_a\) denote the set of all homogeneous forms \(f\in K[x_1,\dots,x_k]\) of degree \(a\). Evaluating \(R_a\) at each point of \(X\), we get (up to equivalence) a linear code, at least if \(K\) is finite. Let \(d(X)_a\) denote the minimum distance of this code. The aim (fully realized) of the paper under review is to give lower bounds on \(d(X)_a\) in terms commutative-algebra invariants of \(X\), e.g. the socle degree \(s(X)\), or geometric properties of \(X\), e.g. to be il linear general position. Let \(\alpha(X)\) be the initial degree of \(X\), i.e. the minimal degree of a linear form vanishing on \(X\). One of the result of this paper is that if \(1\le a\le \alpha\), then\N\[\Nd(X)_a\ge \binom{\alpha(X)-1-a+k-1}{k-1}.\N\]\NThe right hand side of this inequality is at least \((k-1)(\alpha(X)-1-a)+1\). If \(X\) is in linear general position, then either \(d(X)_a\le k-1\) or \(d(X)_a\ge (k-1)(s(X)-1-a)+2\). In the introduction the authors explain very well how/why certain classical algebro-geometric results over an algebraically closed field may be used for codes over a finite field.