Complete intersections in binomial and lattice ideals

For the family of graded lattice ideals of dimension 1, we establish a complete intersection criterion in algebraic and geometric terms. In positive characteristic, it is shown that all ideals of this family are binomial set theoretic complete intersections. In characteristic zero, we show that an arbitrary lattice ideal which is a binomial set theoretic complete intersection is a complete intersection.Comment: Internat. J. Algebra Comput., to appea

Affine cartesian codes

We compute the basic parameters (dimension, length, minimum distance) of affine evaluation codes defined on a cartesian product of finite sets. Given a sequence of positive integers, we construct an evaluation code, over a degenerate torus, with prescribed parameters. As an application of our results, we recover the formulas for the minimum distance of various families of evaluation codes.Comment: Designs, Codes and Cryptography, to appea

Computing the degree of a lattice ideal of dimension one

We show that the degree of a graded lattice ideal of dimension 1 is the order of the torsion subgroup of the quotient group of the lattice. This gives an efficient method to compute the degree of this type of lattice ideals.Comment: J. Symbolic Comput., to appea

A commutative algebraic approach to the fitting problem

Given a finite set of points $\Gamma$ in $\mathbb P^{k-1}$ not all contained in a hyperplane, the "fitting problem" asks what is the maximum number $hyp(\Gamma)$ of these points that can fit in some hyperplane and what is (are) the equation(s) of such hyperplane(s). If $\Gamma$ has the property that any $k-1$ of its points span a hyperplane, then $hyp(\Gamma)=nil(I)+k-2$, where $nil(I)$ is the index of nilpotency of an ideal constructed from the homogeneous coordinates of the points of $\Gamma$. Note that in $\mathbb P^2$ any two points span a line, and we find that the maximum number of collinear points of any given set of points $\Gamma\subset\mathbb P^2$ equals the index of nilpotency of the corresponding ideal, plus one.Comment: 8 page