Classifying optimal binary subspace codes of length 8, constant dimension 4 and minimum distance 6

The maximum size $A_2(8,6;4)$ of a binary subspace code of packet length $v=8$, minimum subspace distance $d=6$, and constant dimension $k=4$ is $257$, where the $2$ isomorphism types are extended lifted maximum rank distance codes. In finite geometry terms the maximum number of solids in $\operatorname{PG}(7,2)$, mutually intersecting in at most a point, is $257$. The result was obtained by combining the classification of substructures with integer linear programming techniques. This implies that the maximum size $A_2(8,6)$ of a binary mixed-dimension code of packet length $8$ and minimum subspace distance $6$ is $257$ as well.Comment: 17 pages, 3 table

Subspaces intersecting in at most a point

We improve on the lower bound of the maximum number of planes in \operatorname{PG}(8,q)\cong\F_q^{9} pairwise intersecting in at most a point. In terms of constant dimension codes this leads to $A_q(9,4;3)\ge q^{12}+ 2q^8+2q^7+q^6+2q^5+2q^4-2q^2-2q+1$. This result is obtained via a more general construction strategy, which also yields other improvements.Comment: 4 page

On the lengths of divisible codes

In this article, the effective lengths of all $q^r$-divisible linear codes over $\mathbb{F}_q$ with a non-negative integer $r$ are determined. For that purpose, the $S_q(r)$-adic expansion of an integer $n$ is introduced. It is shown that there exists a $q^r$-divisible $\mathbb{F}_q$-linear code of effective length $n$ if and only if the leading coefficient of the $S_q(r)$-adic expansion of $n$ is non-negative. Furthermore, the maximum weight of a $q^r$-divisible code of effective length $n$ is at most $\sigma q^r$, where $\sigma$ denotes the cross-sum of the $S_q(r)$-adic expansion of $n$. This result has applications in Galois geometries. A recent theorem of N{\u{a}}stase and Sissokho on the maximum size of a partial spread follows as a corollary. Furthermore, we get an improvement of the Johnson bound for constant dimension subspace codes.Comment: 17 pages, typos corrected; the paper was originally named "An improvement of the Johnson bound for subspace codes

q-analogs of group divisible designs

A well known class of objects in combinatorial design theory are {group divisible designs}. Here, we introduce the $q$-analogs of group divisible designs. It turns out that there are interesting connections to scattered subspaces, $q$-Steiner systems, design packings and $q^r$-divisible projective sets. We give necessary conditions for the existence of $q$-analogs of group divsible designs, construct an infinite series of examples, and provide further existence results with the help of a computer search. One example is a $(6,3,2,2)_2$ group divisible design over $\operatorname{GF}(2)$ which is a design packing consisting of $180$ blocks that such every $2$-dimensional subspace in $\operatorname{GF}(2)^6$ is covered at most twice.Comment: 18 pages, 3 tables, typos correcte

Combining subspace codes

In the context of constant--dimension subspace codes, an important problem is to determine the largest possible size $A_q(n, d; k)$ of codes whose codewords are $k$-subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ with minimum subspace distance $d$. Here in order to obtain improved constructions, we investigate several approaches to combine subspace codes. This allow us to present improvements on the lower bounds for constant--dimension subspace codes for many parameters, including $A_q(10, 4; 5)$, $A_q(12, 4; 4)$, $A_q(12, 6, 6)$ and $A_q(16, 4; 4)$.Comment: 17 pages; construction for A_(10,4;5) was flawe