On self-dual doubly-even extremal codes (Q918942)

Let C be a binary linear self-dual doubly-even code of length n and minimal weight d. Such codes exist only if \(n\equiv 0(mod 8)\). We put \(n=24r+8s\), \(s=0,1,2\). It follows from the work of \textit{A. M. Gleason} [Actes Congr. internat. Math. 1970, 3, 211-215 (1971; Zbl 0287.05010)] and of \textit{C. L. Mallows} and \textit{N. J. A. Sloane} [Inform. Control 22, 188-200 (1973; Zbl 0254.94011)] that \(d\leq 4r+4\). C is called extremal if \(d=4r+4\). In the following, an extremal code means a binary linear self- dual doubly-even extremal code. We identify the words in \(F^ 2_ n\) with their supports. We put \(C_ k:=\{c\in C| \quad | c| =k\},\) \[ \alpha_ k(a):=| \{c\in C_ k| \quad | a\cap c| =\ell -1\}|,\quad \delta_ k(a):=| \{c\in C_ k| \quad a\subset c\}|, \] where \(a\in F^ n_ 2\) with \(| a| =\ell =7-2s\). The main result of the author is the following Theorem: Let C be an extremal code. Put \(f:=k+1-\ell,\quad g:=\ell k-n-(\ell -1)(\ell -2).\) Then \(f\alpha_ k(a)+g\delta_ k(a)\) is independent of the choice of a and depends only on n and k. Assmus and Mattson showed that \(C_ k\) is a 5-2s-block design. The Theorem expresses an extra property of this block design. In the case \(k=d\) the formulation of the Theorem and its proof by means of theta series is due to B. B. Venkov.