Linear codes meeting the Griesmer bound, minihypers and geometric applications

Coding theory and Galois geometries are two research areas which greatly influence each other. In this talk, we focus on the link between linear codes meeting the Griesmer bound and minihypers in finite projective spaces. Minihypers are particular (multiple) blocking sets. We present characterization results on minihypers, leading to equivalent characterization results on linear codes meeting the Griesmer bound. Next to being interesting from a coding-theoretical point of view, minihypers also are interesting for geometrical applications. We present results on maximal partial μ-spreads in PG(N, q), (μ + 1)|(N + 1), on minimal μ-covers in PG(N, q), (μ + 1)|(N + 1), on (N − 1)-covers of Q + (2N + 1, q), on partial ovoids and on partial spreads of finite classical polar spaces, and on partial ovoids of generalized hexagons, following from results on minihypers

Generalized threshold secret sharing and finite geometry

In the history of secret sharing schemes many constructions are based on geometric objects. In this paper we investigate generalizations of threshold schemes and related finite geometric structures. In particular, we analyse compartmented and hierarchical schemes, and deduce some more general results, especially bounds for special arcs and novel constructions for conjunctive 2-level and 3-level hierarchical schemes

Dominating Sets in Projective Planes

We describe small dominating sets of the incidence graphs of finite projective planes by establishing a stability result that shows that dominating sets are strongly related to blocking and covering sets. Our main result states that if a dominating set in a projective plane of order q>81 is smaller than 2q+2⌊q⌋+2 (i.e., twice the size of a Baer subplane), then it contains either all but possibly one points of a line or all but possibly one lines through a point. Furthermore, we completely characterize dominating sets of size at most 2q+q+1. In Desarguesian planes, we could rely on strong stability results on blocking sets to show that if a dominating set is sufficiently smaller than 3q, then it consists of the union of a blocking set and a covering set apart from a few points and lines. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Dual codes of projective planes of order 25

Peer Reviewe

Bounds for complete arcs in finite projective planes

This thesis uses algebraic and combinatorial methods to study subsets of the Desarguesian plane IIq = PG(2, q). Emphasis, in particular, is given to complete (k, n)-arcs and plane projective curves. Known Diophantine equations for subsets of PG(2, q), no more than n of which are collinear, have been applied to k-arcs of arbitrary degree. This yields a new lower bound for complete (k, n)-arcs in PG(2, q) and is a generalization of a classical result of Barlotti. The bound is one of few known results for complete arcs of arbitrary degree and establishes new restrictions upon the parameters of associated projective codes. New results governing the relationship between (k, 3)-arcs and blocking sets are also provided. Here, a sufficient condition ensuring that a blocking set is induced by a complete (k, 3)-arc in the dual plane q is established and shown to complement existing knowledge of relationships between k-arcs and blocking sets. Combinatorial techniques analyzing (k, 3)-arcs in suitable planes are then introduced. Utilizing the numeric properties of non-singular cubic curves, plane (k, 3)-arcs satisfying prescribed incidence conditions are shown not to attain existing upper bounds. The relative sizes of (k, 3)-arcs and non-singular cubic curves are also considered. It is conjectured that m3(2, q), the size of the largest complete (k, 3)-arc in PG(2, q), exceeds the number of rational points on an elliptic curve. Here, a sufficient condition for its positive resolution is given using combinatorial analysis. Exploiting its structure as a (k, 3)-arc, the elliptic curve is then considered as a method of constructing cubic arcs and results governing completeness are established. Finally, classical theorems relating the order of the plane q to the existence of an elliptic curve with a specified number of rational points are used to extend theoretical results providing upper bounds to t3(2, q), the size of the smallest possible complete (k, 3)-arc in PG(2, q)