The maximum number of nonzero weights of linear rank-metric codes

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Castello, Chiara, Santonastaso, Paolo, Scotti, Martin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Castello, Chiara
Santonastaso, Paolo
Scotti, Martin
author_facet Castello, Chiara
Santonastaso, Paolo
Scotti, Martin
contents We investigate the maximum number \( L_{\mathrm{rk}}(n, m, k, q) \) of distinct nonzero rank weights that an \( \mathbb{F}_{q^m} \)-linear rank-metric code of dimension \( k \) in \( \mathbb{F}_{q^m}^n \) can attain. We determine the exact value of the function \( L_{\mathrm{rk}}(n, m, k, q) \) for all admissible parameters \( n, m, k, q \). In particular, we characterize when a code achieves the full weight spectrum (FWS), i.e. when the number of distinct nonzero rank weights equals \( \min\{n, m\} \). We provide both necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of FWS codes, along with explicit constructions of codes attaining the maximum number of distinct weights. We discuss the equivalence of such codes and also present classification results for 2-dimensional codes. Finally, we investigate further properties of these optimal codes, like their behavior under duality.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_13162
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The maximum number of nonzero weights of linear rank-metric codes
Castello, Chiara
Santonastaso, Paolo
Scotti, Martin
Combinatorics
Information Theory
94B05, 11T71, 94B65
We investigate the maximum number \( L_{\mathrm{rk}}(n, m, k, q) \) of distinct nonzero rank weights that an \( \mathbb{F}_{q^m} \)-linear rank-metric code of dimension \( k \) in \( \mathbb{F}_{q^m}^n \) can attain. We determine the exact value of the function \( L_{\mathrm{rk}}(n, m, k, q) \) for all admissible parameters \( n, m, k, q \). In particular, we characterize when a code achieves the full weight spectrum (FWS), i.e. when the number of distinct nonzero rank weights equals \( \min\{n, m\} \). We provide both necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of FWS codes, along with explicit constructions of codes attaining the maximum number of distinct weights. We discuss the equivalence of such codes and also present classification results for 2-dimensional codes. Finally, we investigate further properties of these optimal codes, like their behavior under duality.
title The maximum number of nonzero weights of linear rank-metric codes
topic Combinatorics
Information Theory
94B05, 11T71, 94B65
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13162