Optimal Ferrers Diagram Rank-Metric Codes

Optimal rank-metric codes in Ferrers diagrams are considered. Such codes consist of matrices having zeros at certain fixed positions and can be used to construct good codes in the projective space. Four techniques and constructions of Ferrers diagram rank-metric codes are presented, each providing optimal codes for different diagrams and parameters.Comment: to be presented in Algebra, Codes, and Networks, Bordeaux, June 16 - 20, 201

Bounds for the multilevel construction

One of the main problems in random network coding is to compute good lower and upper bounds on the achievable cardinality of the so-called subspace codes in the projective space $\mathcal{P}_q(n)$ for a given minimum distance. The determination of the exact maximum cardinality is a very tough discrete optimization problem involving a huge number of symmetries. Besides some explicit constructions for \textit{good} subspace codes several of the most success full constructions involve the solution of discrete optimization subproblems itself, which mostly have not been not been solved systematically. Here we consider the multilevel a.k.a.\ Echelon--Ferrers construction and given lower and upper bounds for the achievable cardinalities. From a more general point of view, we solve maximum clique problems in weighted graphs, where the weights can be polynomials in the field size $q$.Comment: 95 page