Generalized Reed-Muller codes over \({\mathbb{Z}_q}\) (Q849363)

The following generalization of GRM-codes which uses the Galois ring \({\mathcal R}=\) GR\((q,m)\) (instead of \({\mathbb F}_q\)) is presented; this ring is defined to be the residue class ring \(\mathbb Z_q[ X]/\langle f(x)\rangle\) where the image of the polynomial \(f(x)\) of degree \(m\) under the projection from \(\mathbb Z_q[X]\) to \(\mathbb F_p[X]\) should be irreducible. The set \(\{ 1,\xi,\xi^2,\ldots,\xi^{m-1}\}\), for a primitive element \(\xi\) of \({\mathcal R}\), forms a basis of \({\mathcal R}\) over \(\mathbb Z_q\). Thus the matrix \(G=\begin{pmatrix} 1&1&1&1&\dots&1\\ 0&1&\xi&\xi^2&\dots&\xi^{n-1}\end{pmatrix}\) for \(n=p^m-1\) can be considered as an \((m+1)\times p^m\) matrix over \(\mathbb Z_q\) where each element in the second row is assumed to be the unique \(m\)-tuple over \(\mathbb Z_q\). Let the \(i\)-th row of \(G\) be denoted by \(v_i\). Then the \(r\)-th order Generalized Reed-Muller (GRM) code RM\(_{\mathbb Z_q}(r,m)\) of length \(p^m\) over \(\mathbb Z_q\) is defined to be the code generated by all tuples of the form \(v_1^{i_1}\cdots v_m^{i_m}\) (with \(0\leq i_j\leq p-1\) and \(\sum^m_{j=1}i_j\leq r\)) (with the componentwise multiplication of \(n\)-tuples of \(\mathbb Z^n_q\)). (Thus the Kerdock code of length \(p^m\) over \(\mathbb Z_q\) is the first order GRM code RM\(_{\mathbb Z_q}(1,m)\)). Shortened GRM codes and duals of GRM codes are considered. It is shown that GRM codes over \(\mathbb Z_q\) are free extended cyclic codes; trace descriptions and formulas for their ranks and their minimum Hamming distances are given.