Ovoids and spreads of finite classical generalized hexagons and applications

One intuitively describes a generalized hexagon as a point-line geometry full of ordinary hexagons, but containing no ordinary n-gons for n<6. A generalized hexagon has order (s,t) if every point is on t+1 lines and every line contains s+1 points. The main result of my PhD Thesis is the construction of three new examples of distance-2 ovoids (a set of non-collinear points that is uniquely intersected by any chosen line) in H(3) and H(4), where H(q) belongs to a special class of order (q,q) generalized hexagons. One of these examples has lead to the construction of a new infinite class of two-character sets. These in turn give rise to new strongly regular graphs and new two-weight codes, which is why I dedicate a whole chapter on codes arising from small generalized hexagons. By considering the (0,1)-vector space of characteristic functions within H(q), one obtains a one-to-one correspondence between such a code and some substructure of the hexagon. A regular substructure can be viewed as the eigenvector of a certain (0,1)-matrix and the fact that eigenvectors of distinct eigenvalues have to be orthogonal often yields exact values for the intersection number of the according substructures. In my thesis I reveal some unexpected results to this particular technique. Furthermore I classify all distance-2 and -3 ovoids (a maximal set of points mutually at maximal distance) within H(3). As such we obtain a geometrical interpretation of all maximal subgroups of G2(3), a geometric construction of a GAB, the first sporadic examples of ovoid-spread pairings and a transitive 1-system of Q(6,3). Research on derivations of this 1-system was followed by an investigation of common point reguli of different hexagons on the same Q(6,q), with nice applications as a result. Of these, the most important is the alternative construction of the Hölz design and a subdesign. Furthermore we theoretically prove that the Hölz design on 28 points only contains Hermitian and Ree unitals (previously shown by Tonchev by computer). As these Hölz designs are one-point extensions of generalized quadrangles, we dedicate a final chapter to the characterization of the affine extension of H(2) using a combinatorial property

Finite Geometries

[no abstract available

Simple endotrivial modules for quasi-simple groups

We investigate simple endotrivial modules of finite quasi-simple groups and classify them in several important cases. This is motivated by a recent result of Robinson showing that simple endotrivial modules of most groups come from quasi-simple groups.Comment: 31 pages. Changes from (v1): in Theorem 1.3, we removed the assumption that G<SL and proved that endotrivial modules are liftable to characteristic zero in all generality. (v3): revised version, to appear in Journal f\"ur die Reine und Angewandte Mathemati

Structural Design and Analysis of Low-Density Parity-Check Codes and Systematic Repeat-Accumulate Codes

The discovery of two fundamental error-correcting code families, known as turbo codes and low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, has led to a revolution in coding theory and to a paradigm shift from traditional algebraic codes towards modern graph-based codes that can be decoded by iterative message passing algorithms. From then on, it has become a focal point of research to develop powerful LDPC and turbo-like codes. Besides the classical domain of randomly constructed codes, an alternative and competitive line of research is concerned with highly structured LDPC and turbo-like codes based on combinatorial designs. Such codes are typically characterized by high code rates already at small to moderate code lengths and good code properties such as the avoidance of harmful 4-cycles in the code's factor graph. Furthermore, their structure can usually be exploited for an efficient implementation, in particular, they can be encoded with low complexity as opposed to random-like codes. Hence, these codes are suitable for high-speed applications such as magnetic recording or optical communication. This thesis greatly contributes to the field of structured LDPC codes and systematic repeat-accumulate (sRA) codes as a subclass of turbo-like codes by presenting new combinatorial construction techniques and algebraic methods for an improved code design. More specifically, novel and infinite families of high-rate structured LDPC codes and sRA codes are presented based on balanced incomplete block designs (BIBDs), which form a subclass of combinatorial designs. Besides of showing excellent error-correcting capabilites under iterative decoding, these codes can be implemented efficiently, since their inner structure enables low-complexity encoding and accelerated decoding algorithms. A further infinite series of structured LDPC codes is presented based on the notion of transversal designs, which form another subclass of combinatorial designs. By a proper configuration of these codes, they reveal an excellent decoding performance under iterative decoding, in particular, with very low error-floors. The approach for lowering these error-floors is threefold. First, a thorough analysis of the decoding failures is carried out, resulting in an extensive classification of so-called stopping sets and absorbing sets. These combinatorial entities are known to be the main cause of decoding failures in the error-floor region over the binary erasure channel (BEC) and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, respectively. Second, the specific code structures are exploited in order to calculate conditions for the avoidance of the most harmful stopping and absorbing sets. Third, powerful design strategies are derived for the identification of those code instances with the best error-floor performances. The resulting codes can additionally be encoded with low complexity and thus are ideally suited for practical high-speed applications. Further investigations are carried out on the infinite family of structured LDPC codes based on finite geometries. It is known that these codes perform very well under iterative decoding and that their encoding can be achieved with low complexity. By combining the latest findings in the fields of finite geometries and combinatorial designs, we generate new theoretical insights about the decoding failures of such codes under iterative decoding. These examinations finally help to identify the geometric codes with the most beneficial error-correcting capabilities over the BEC

Some results on quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters

U ovoj disertaciji proučavamo kvazisimetrične dizajne s iznimnim parametrima te metode za njihovu konstrukciju s pretpostavljenom grupom automorfizama. Tablica dopustivih iznimnih parametara kvazisimetričnih $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ dizajna s presječnim brojevima x i y je proširena do v = 150 te je time dobiveno ukupno 260 skupova parametara, pri čemu za njih 172 egzistencija kvazisimetričnih dizajna nije poznata. Pomoću Kramer-Mesnerove metode – poznate metode za konstrukciju t-dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama, konstruirani su mnogi dizajni s parametrima $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ odgovarajućih kvazisimetričnih dizajna iz navedene tablice te je time pokazano koliko je problem konstrukcije 2-dizajna bez uvjeta kvazisimetričnosti lakši. U konstrukciji kvazisimetričnih dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama osnovni koraci su generiranje orbita i konstrukcija dizajna iz dobivenih orbita. U disertaciji su opisani algoritmi za generiranje kratkih orbita te svih orbita podskupova zadane veličine nekog skupa pod djelovanjem pretpostavljene grupe automorfizama. Također, opisani su algoritmi na kojima se temelje metode za konstrukciju kvazisimetričnih dizajna, a to su Kramer-Mesnerova metoda, metoda temeljena na traženju klika i metoda temeljena na orbitnim matricama. Korištenjem navedenih algoritama konstruirani su novi kvazisimetrični dizajni s parametrima 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, zatim 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8 te 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6. Isto tako, utvrđena je egzistencija kvazisimetričnog 2-(56, 16, 18) dizajna s presječnim brojevima x = 4 i y = 8, koja ranije nije bila poznata, te su konstruirana četiri neizomorfna dizajna s tim parametrima. Nadalje, utvrđeno je da samo već poznati kvazisimetrični dizajni s projektivnim parametrima postoje s određenim grupama automorfizama.In this thesis, we study quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters and methods for their construction with prescribed automorphism groups. A $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ design is quasi-symmetric if any two blocks intersect either in x or in y points, for non-negative integers x < y. The classification of quasi-symmetric 2-designs is a difficult open problem and there are many triples $(v, k, \lambda)$ for which existence is unknown. A. Neumaier in [74] defines four classes of quasi-symmetric 2-designs: multiples of symmetric designs, strongly resolvable designs, Steiner designs, and residuals of biplanes. If a quasi-symmetric design or its complement does not belong to any of these classes, he calls it exceptional. In the same paper, he published the first table of admissible exceptional parameters of quasi-symmetric 2-designs with v < 40. Updated and extended tables were published by V. D. Tonchev, A. R. Calderbank, and M. S. Shrikhande. The last table was published in [85] and contains all exceptional parameters with v ≤ 70. The thesis is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, we give some basic definitions, notations, and results about t-designs, quasi-symmetric t-designs, and quasisymmetric 2-designs in particular. We also explain their important connections with strongly regular graphs and self-orthogonal codes. Furthermore, we describe the known families of quasi-symmetric 2-designs. Finally, at the end of this chapter we update the table of admissible exceptional parameters with new results and extend it to v = 150. The new table contains 260 parameter sets, and for 172 parameter sets the existence of quasi-symmetric designs is unknown. In the second chapter, we explore the construction of 2-designs with prescribed automorphism groups, not necessarily quasi-symmetric. We give some basic concepts and results from group theory, in particular permutation groups, and consider (full) automorphism groups of designs. Furthermore, we describe one of the most widespread methods for the construction of designs with prescribed automorphism groups, the Kramer-Mesner method. Using this method, we construct a lot of designs with exceptional parameters $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ of quasi-symmetric designs. The conclusion is that the construction of 2-designs is much easier without the condition of quasi-symmetry. In the last and most important chapter, we develop computational methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs with a prescribed automorphism group G. The v construction is done in two basic steps: firstly, generate the good orbits of G on k-element subsets of a v-element set, and secondly, select orbits comprising blocks of the design. In the first section of this chapter, we give some ideas for selecting automorphism groups. In the second section, we explain algorithms for generating orbits. Depending on the parameters of the design and size of the automorphism group, we use the algorithm for short orbits, the algorithm for all orbits, or generate orbits from orbit matrices. In the third section, we explain methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs from the generated orbits. We use the Kramer-Mesner method, a method based on clique search, and a method based on orbit matrices. All these methods had been previously known in design theory. We adapt them for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs and perform the constructions for some feasible parameters and groups. We increase the number of known designs with parameters 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8, 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6, and establish the existence of quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs with intersection numbers x = 4 and y = 8. Furthermore, using binary codes associated with newly constructed 2-(56, 16, 6) designs, we find even more quasi-symmetric designs with these parameters. All the new quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs can be extended to symmetric 2-(78, 22, 6) designs and in this way the number of known symmetric designs with these parameters is significantly increased. In the last section of this chapter, we attempt construction of quasi-symmetric designs with projective parameters and certain automorphism groups, but find only known examples of such designs

Some results on quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters

U ovoj disertaciji proučavamo kvazisimetrične dizajne s iznimnim parametrima te metode za njihovu konstrukciju s pretpostavljenom grupom automorfizama. Tablica dopustivih iznimnih parametara kvazisimetričnih $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ dizajna s presječnim brojevima x i y je proširena do v = 150 te je time dobiveno ukupno 260 skupova parametara, pri čemu za njih 172 egzistencija kvazisimetričnih dizajna nije poznata. Pomoću Kramer-Mesnerove metode – poznate metode za konstrukciju t-dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama, konstruirani su mnogi dizajni s parametrima $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ odgovarajućih kvazisimetričnih dizajna iz navedene tablice te je time pokazano koliko je problem konstrukcije 2-dizajna bez uvjeta kvazisimetričnosti lakši. U konstrukciji kvazisimetričnih dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama osnovni koraci su generiranje orbita i konstrukcija dizajna iz dobivenih orbita. U disertaciji su opisani algoritmi za generiranje kratkih orbita te svih orbita podskupova zadane veličine nekog skupa pod djelovanjem pretpostavljene grupe automorfizama. Također, opisani su algoritmi na kojima se temelje metode za konstrukciju kvazisimetričnih dizajna, a to su Kramer-Mesnerova metoda, metoda temeljena na traženju klika i metoda temeljena na orbitnim matricama. Korištenjem navedenih algoritama konstruirani su novi kvazisimetrični dizajni s parametrima 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, zatim 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8 te 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6. Isto tako, utvrđena je egzistencija kvazisimetričnog 2-(56, 16, 18) dizajna s presječnim brojevima x = 4 i y = 8, koja ranije nije bila poznata, te su konstruirana četiri neizomorfna dizajna s tim parametrima. Nadalje, utvrđeno je da samo već poznati kvazisimetrični dizajni s projektivnim parametrima postoje s određenim grupama automorfizama.In this thesis, we study quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters and methods for their construction with prescribed automorphism groups. A $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ design is quasi-symmetric if any two blocks intersect either in x or in y points, for non-negative integers x < y. The classification of quasi-symmetric 2-designs is a difficult open problem and there are many triples $(v, k, \lambda)$ for which existence is unknown. A. Neumaier in [74] defines four classes of quasi-symmetric 2-designs: multiples of symmetric designs, strongly resolvable designs, Steiner designs, and residuals of biplanes. If a quasi-symmetric design or its complement does not belong to any of these classes, he calls it exceptional. In the same paper, he published the first table of admissible exceptional parameters of quasi-symmetric 2-designs with v < 40. Updated and extended tables were published by V. D. Tonchev, A. R. Calderbank, and M. S. Shrikhande. The last table was published in [85] and contains all exceptional parameters with v ≤ 70. The thesis is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, we give some basic definitions, notations, and results about t-designs, quasi-symmetric t-designs, and quasisymmetric 2-designs in particular. We also explain their important connections with strongly regular graphs and self-orthogonal codes. Furthermore, we describe the known families of quasi-symmetric 2-designs. Finally, at the end of this chapter we update the table of admissible exceptional parameters with new results and extend it to v = 150. The new table contains 260 parameter sets, and for 172 parameter sets the existence of quasi-symmetric designs is unknown. In the second chapter, we explore the construction of 2-designs with prescribed automorphism groups, not necessarily quasi-symmetric. We give some basic concepts and results from group theory, in particular permutation groups, and consider (full) automorphism groups of designs. Furthermore, we describe one of the most widespread methods for the construction of designs with prescribed automorphism groups, the Kramer-Mesner method. Using this method, we construct a lot of designs with exceptional parameters $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ of quasi-symmetric designs. The conclusion is that the construction of 2-designs is much easier without the condition of quasi-symmetry. In the last and most important chapter, we develop computational methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs with a prescribed automorphism group G. The v construction is done in two basic steps: firstly, generate the good orbits of G on k-element subsets of a v-element set, and secondly, select orbits comprising blocks of the design. In the first section of this chapter, we give some ideas for selecting automorphism groups. In the second section, we explain algorithms for generating orbits. Depending on the parameters of the design and size of the automorphism group, we use the algorithm for short orbits, the algorithm for all orbits, or generate orbits from orbit matrices. In the third section, we explain methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs from the generated orbits. We use the Kramer-Mesner method, a method based on clique search, and a method based on orbit matrices. All these methods had been previously known in design theory. We adapt them for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs and perform the constructions for some feasible parameters and groups. We increase the number of known designs with parameters 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8, 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6, and establish the existence of quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs with intersection numbers x = 4 and y = 8. Furthermore, using binary codes associated with newly constructed 2-(56, 16, 6) designs, we find even more quasi-symmetric designs with these parameters. All the new quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs can be extended to symmetric 2-(78, 22, 6) designs and in this way the number of known symmetric designs with these parameters is significantly increased. In the last section of this chapter, we attempt construction of quasi-symmetric designs with projective parameters and certain automorphism groups, but find only known examples of such designs

Some results on quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters

U ovoj disertaciji proučavamo kvazisimetrične dizajne s iznimnim parametrima te metode za njihovu konstrukciju s pretpostavljenom grupom automorfizama. Tablica dopustivih iznimnih parametara kvazisimetričnih $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ dizajna s presječnim brojevima x i y je proširena do v = 150 te je time dobiveno ukupno 260 skupova parametara, pri čemu za njih 172 egzistencija kvazisimetričnih dizajna nije poznata. Pomoću Kramer-Mesnerove metode – poznate metode za konstrukciju t-dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama, konstruirani su mnogi dizajni s parametrima $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ odgovarajućih kvazisimetričnih dizajna iz navedene tablice te je time pokazano koliko je problem konstrukcije 2-dizajna bez uvjeta kvazisimetričnosti lakši. U konstrukciji kvazisimetričnih dizajna sa zadanom grupom automorfizama osnovni koraci su generiranje orbita i konstrukcija dizajna iz dobivenih orbita. U disertaciji su opisani algoritmi za generiranje kratkih orbita te svih orbita podskupova zadane veličine nekog skupa pod djelovanjem pretpostavljene grupe automorfizama. Također, opisani su algoritmi na kojima se temelje metode za konstrukciju kvazisimetričnih dizajna, a to su Kramer-Mesnerova metoda, metoda temeljena na traženju klika i metoda temeljena na orbitnim matricama. Korištenjem navedenih algoritama konstruirani su novi kvazisimetrični dizajni s parametrima 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, zatim 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8 te 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6. Isto tako, utvrđena je egzistencija kvazisimetričnog 2-(56, 16, 18) dizajna s presječnim brojevima x = 4 i y = 8, koja ranije nije bila poznata, te su konstruirana četiri neizomorfna dizajna s tim parametrima. Nadalje, utvrđeno je da samo već poznati kvazisimetrični dizajni s projektivnim parametrima postoje s određenim grupama automorfizama.In this thesis, we study quasi-symmetric designs with exceptional parameters and methods for their construction with prescribed automorphism groups. A $t-(v, k, \lambda)$ design is quasi-symmetric if any two blocks intersect either in x or in y points, for non-negative integers x < y. The classification of quasi-symmetric 2-designs is a difficult open problem and there are many triples $(v, k, \lambda)$ for which existence is unknown. A. Neumaier in [74] defines four classes of quasi-symmetric 2-designs: multiples of symmetric designs, strongly resolvable designs, Steiner designs, and residuals of biplanes. If a quasi-symmetric design or its complement does not belong to any of these classes, he calls it exceptional. In the same paper, he published the first table of admissible exceptional parameters of quasi-symmetric 2-designs with v < 40. Updated and extended tables were published by V. D. Tonchev, A. R. Calderbank, and M. S. Shrikhande. The last table was published in [85] and contains all exceptional parameters with v ≤ 70. The thesis is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, we give some basic definitions, notations, and results about t-designs, quasi-symmetric t-designs, and quasisymmetric 2-designs in particular. We also explain their important connections with strongly regular graphs and self-orthogonal codes. Furthermore, we describe the known families of quasi-symmetric 2-designs. Finally, at the end of this chapter we update the table of admissible exceptional parameters with new results and extend it to v = 150. The new table contains 260 parameter sets, and for 172 parameter sets the existence of quasi-symmetric designs is unknown. In the second chapter, we explore the construction of 2-designs with prescribed automorphism groups, not necessarily quasi-symmetric. We give some basic concepts and results from group theory, in particular permutation groups, and consider (full) automorphism groups of designs. Furthermore, we describe one of the most widespread methods for the construction of designs with prescribed automorphism groups, the Kramer-Mesner method. Using this method, we construct a lot of designs with exceptional parameters $2-(v, k, \lambda)$ of quasi-symmetric designs. The conclusion is that the construction of 2-designs is much easier without the condition of quasi-symmetry. In the last and most important chapter, we develop computational methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs with a prescribed automorphism group G. The v construction is done in two basic steps: firstly, generate the good orbits of G on k-element subsets of a v-element set, and secondly, select orbits comprising blocks of the design. In the first section of this chapter, we give some ideas for selecting automorphism groups. In the second section, we explain algorithms for generating orbits. Depending on the parameters of the design and size of the automorphism group, we use the algorithm for short orbits, the algorithm for all orbits, or generate orbits from orbit matrices. In the third section, we explain methods for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs from the generated orbits. We use the Kramer-Mesner method, a method based on clique search, and a method based on orbit matrices. All these methods had been previously known in design theory. We adapt them for the construction of quasi-symmetric designs and perform the constructions for some feasible parameters and groups. We increase the number of known designs with parameters 2-(28, 12, 11), x = 4, y = 6, 2-(36, 16, 12), x = 6, y = 8, 2-(56, 16, 6), x = 4, y = 6, and establish the existence of quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs with intersection numbers x = 4 and y = 8. Furthermore, using binary codes associated with newly constructed 2-(56, 16, 6) designs, we find even more quasi-symmetric designs with these parameters. All the new quasi-symmetric 2-(56, 16, 18) designs can be extended to symmetric 2-(78, 22, 6) designs and in this way the number of known symmetric designs with these parameters is significantly increased. In the last section of this chapter, we attempt construction of quasi-symmetric designs with projective parameters and certain automorphism groups, but find only known examples of such designs