Some Upper Bounds on the Covering Radii of Linear Codes Over Fq and Their Applications

We show that the covering radius R of an [n,k,d] code over F_q is bounded above by R n-n _q(k, d/q). We strengthen this bound when R d and find conditions under which equality holds.As applications of this and other bounds, we show that all binary linear codes of lengths up to 15, or codimension up to 9, are normal. We also establish the normality of most codes of length 16 and many of codimension 10. These results have applications in the construction of codes that attain t[n,k,/it>], the smallest covering radius of any binary linear [n,k].We also prove some new results on the amalgamated direct sum (ADS) construction of Graham and Sloane. We find new conditions assuring normality of the ADS; covering radius 1 less than previously guaranteed for ADS of codes with even norms; good covering codes as ADS without the hypothesis of normality, from concepts p- stable and s- stable; codes with best known covering radii as ADS of two, often cyclic, codes (thus retaining structure so as to be suitable for practical applications).     

A Sequence of Unique Quaternary Griesmer Codes

This paper establishes that there is no [98,5,72]₄ code. Such a code would meet the Griesmer bound and the weights of its codewords would all be divisible by 4. The proof of nonexistence uses the uniqueness of codes with parameters [n,4,n - 5]₄,14 n 17. The uniqueness of these codes for n 15 had been established geometrically by others; but it is rederived here, along with that of the [14,4,9]₄ code, by exploiting the Hermitian form obtained when the weight function is read modulo 2.     

Randomly Weighted Sums of Subexponential Random Variables with Application to Ruin Theory

Let {X _k , 1 k n} be n independent and real-valued random variables with common subexponential distribution function, and let {k, 1 k n} be other n random variables independent of {X _k , 1 k n} and satisfying a _k b for some 0 < a b < for all 1 k n. This paper proves that the asymptotic relations P (max_{1 m n k=1} ^m _k X _k > x) P (sum _k=1 ⁿ _k X _k > x) sum _k=1 ⁿ P ( _k X _k > x) hold as x . In doing so, no any assumption is made on the dependence structure of the sequence { _k , 1 k n}. An application to ruin theory is proposed.     

Blocking Structures of Hermitian Varieties

Given a hermitian variety H(d,q²) and an integer k (d–1)/2, a blocking set with respect to k-subspaces is a set of points of H(d,q²) that meets all k-subspaces of H(d,q²). If H(d,q²) is naturally embedded in PG(d,q²), then linear examples for such a blocking set are the ones that lie in a subspace of codimension k of PG(d,q²). Up to isomorphism there are k+1 non-isomorphic minimal linear blocking sets, and these have different cardinalities. In this paper it is shown for 1 k< (d–1)/2 that all sufficiently small minimal blocking sets of H(d,q²) with respect to k-subspaces are linear. For 1 k< d/2–3, it is even proved that the k+1 minimal linear blocking sets are smaller than all minimal non-linear ones.AMS Classification: 1991 MSC: 51E20, 51E21     

On the Minimum Size of Some Minihypers and Related Linear Codes

We denote by m_r,q(s) the minimum value of f for which an {f, _r-2+s ; r,q }-minihyper exists for r 3, 1 s q–1, where _j=(q^j+1–1)/(q–1). It is proved that m_3,q(s)=₁(₁+s) for many cases (e.g., for all q 4 when ) and that m_r,q(s) _r-1+s₁+q for 1 s q – 1,~q 3,~r 4. The nonexistence of some [n,k,n+s–q^k-2]_q codes attaining the Griesmer bound is given as an application.AMS classification: 94B27, 94B05, 51E22, 51E21     

A Distance-Regular Graph with Strongly Closed Subgraphs

Let be a distance-regular graph of diameter d, valency k and r := maxi | (c _i,b _i) = (c ₁,b ₁). Let q be an integer with r + 1 q d – 1.In this paper we prove the following results: Theorem 1 Suppose for any pair of vertices at distance q there exists a strongly closed subgraph of diameter q containing them. Then for any integer i with 1 i q and for any pair of vertices at distance i there exists a strongly closed subgraph of diameter i containing them. Theorem 2 If r 2, then c _2r+3 1.As a corollary of Theorem 2 we have d k ²(r + 1) if r 2.     

A Comparison Theorem on Moment Inequalities Between Negatively Associated and Independent Random Variables

Let {X _i, 1in} be a negatively associated sequence, and let {X* _i , 1in} be a sequence of independent random variables such that X* _i and X _i have the same distribution for each i=1, 2,..., n. It is shown in this paper that Ef( ⁿ _i=1 X _i)Ef( ⁿ _i=1 X* _i ) for any convex function f on R ¹ and that Ef(max_1kn ⁿ _i=k X _i)Ef(max_1kn ^k _i=1 X* _i ) for any increasing convex function. Hence, most of the well-known inequalities, such as the Rosenthal maximal inequality and the Kolmogorov exponential inequality, remain true for negatively associated random variables. In particular, the comparison theorem on moment inequalities between negatively associated and independent random variables extends the Hoeffding inequality on the probability bounds for the sum of a random sample without replacement from a finite population.     

Krasnosel'skii numbers for bounded finitely starlike sets inR d

For eachk andd, 1kd, definef(d, d)=d+1 andf(d, k)=2d if 1kd–1. The following results are established:Let be a uniformly bounded collection of compact, convex sets inR ^d . For a fixedk, 1kd, dim {MM in }k if and only if for some > 0, everyf(d, k) members of contain a commonk-dimensional set of measure (volume) at least.LetS be a bounded subset ofR ^d . Assume that for some fixedk, 1kd, there exists a countable family of (k–l)-flats {H _i :i1} inR ^d such that clS S {H_i i 1 } and for eachi1, (clS S) H _i has (k–1) dimensional measure zero. Every finite subset ofS sees viaS a set of positivek-dimensional measure if and only if for some>0, everyf(d,k) points ofS see viaS a set ofk-dimensional measure at least .The numbers off(d,d) andf(d, 1) above are best possible.Supported in part by NSF grant DMS-8705336.     

Codes of Steiner triple and quadruple systems

The code over a finite fieldF _q of orderq of a design is the subspace spanned by the incidence vectors of the blocks. It is shown here that if the design is a Steiner triple system on points, and if the integerd is such that 2 ^d –1<2 ^d+1–1, then the binary code of the design contains a subcode that can be shortened to the binary Hamming codeH _d of length 2 ^d –1. Similarly the binary code of any Steiner quadruple system on +1 points contains a subcode that can be shortened to the Reed-Muller code (d–2,d) of orderd–2 and length 2 ^d , whered is as above.     

Triple Positive Solutions for Multipoint Conjugate Boundary Value Problems

For the nth order nonlinear differential equation y ⁽ⁿ⁾(t)=f(y(t)), t [0,1], satisfying the multipoint conjugate boundary conditions, y ^(j)(a_i) = 0,1 i k, 0 j n _i - 1, 0 =a ₁ < a ₂ < < a _k = 1, and _i=1 ^k n _i =n, where f: [0, ) is continuous, growth condtions are imposed on f which yield the existence of at least three solutions that belong to a cone.     

Steady vortex rings with swirl in an ideal fluid: asymptotics for some solutions in exterior domains

In this paper, the axisymmetric flow in an ideal fluid outside the infinite cylinder (rd) where (r, , z) denotes the cylindrical co-ordinates in ³ is considered. The motion is with swirl (i.e. the -component of the velocity of the flow is non constant). The (non-dimensional) equation governing the phenomenon is (Pd) displayed below. It is known from e.g. [9] that for the problem without swirl (f _q = 0 in (f)) in the whole space, as the flux constant k tends to 1) dist(0z, A) = O(k ^1/2); diam A = O(exp(–c ₀ k ^3/2));2) k^1/2)_k converges to a vortex cylinder U _m (see (1.2)).We show that for the problem with swirl, as k , 1) holds; if m q + 2 then 2) holds and if m > q + 2 it holds with U _q+2 instead of U _m. Moreover, these results are independent of f ₀, f _q and d > 0.     

On the relation between the Jackson and Jung constants of the spacesL p

For any infinitely metrizable compact Abelian groupG; 1pq<,n , the following relations are proved: whereK _pq(G, n, G) is the largest Jackson constant in the approximation of the system of characters by polynomials of ordern, d _pq(G, n, G) is the best Jackson constant,J(L _p(G), L_q(G)) is the Jung constant of the pair of real spaces (L _p(G), L_q(G)), and.Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 58, No. 6, pp. 828–836, December, 1995.This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under grant No. 95-01-00657.     

On empty convex polytopes

Letn andd be integers,n>d 2. We examine the smallest integerg(n,d) such that any setS of at leastg(n,d) points, in general position in E^d, containsn points which are the vertices of an empty convexd-polytopeP, that is, SintP = 0. In particular we show thatg(d+k, d) = d+2k–1 for 1 k iLd/2rL+1.     

Cross-monotone subsequences

Two finite real sequences (a ₁,...,a _k ) and (b ₁,...,b _k ) are cross-monotone if each is nondecreasing anda _i+1–a _i b _i+1–b _i for alli. A sequence (₁,..., _n ) of nondecreasing reals is in class CM(k) if it has disjointk-term subsequences that are cross-monotone. The paper shows thatf(k), the smallestn such that every nondecreasing (₁,..., _n ) is in CM(k), is bounded between aboutk ²/4 andk ₂/2. It also shows thatg(k), the smallestn for which all (₁,..., _n ) are in CM(k)and eithera _k b ₁ orb _k a ₁, equalsk(k–1)+2, and thath(k), the smallestn for which all (₁,..., _n ) are in CM(_k)and eithera ₁b ₁...a _k b _k orb ₁a ₁...b _k a _k , equals 2(k–1)²+2.The results forf andg rely on new theorems for regular patterns in (0, 1)-matrices that are of interest in their own right. An example is: Every upper-triangulark ²×k ² (0, 1)-matrix has eitherk 1's in consecutive columns, each below its predecessor, ork 0's in consecutive rows, each to the right of its predecessor, and the same conclusion is false whenk ² is replaced byk ²–1.     

Probabilistic analysis of an algorithm for solving thek-dimensional all-nearest-neighbors problem by projection

A well-known simple heuristic algorithm for solving the all-nearest-neighbors problem in thek-dimensional Euclidean spaceE ^k ,k>1, projects the given point setS onto thex-axis. For each pointq S a nearest neighbor inS under anyL _p -metric (1 p ) is found by sweeping fromq into two opposite directions along thex-axis. If _q denotes the distance betweenq and its nearest neighbor inS the sweep process stops after all points in a vertical 2 _q -slice centered aroundq have been examined. We show that this algorithm solves the all-nearest-neighbors problem forn independent and uniformly distributed points in the unit cube [0,1] ^k in (n ^2–1/k ) expected time, while its worst-case performance is (n ²).     

Error-Correcting Codes over an Alphabet of Four Elements

The problem of finding the values of A_q(n,d)—the maximum size of a code of length n and minimum distance d over an alphabet of q elements—is considered. Upper and lower bounds on A₄(n,d) are presented and some values of this function are settled. A table of best known bounds on A₄(n,d) is given for n 12. When q M < 2q, all parameters for which A_q(n,d) = M are determined.     

On a Turán type problem of Erdös

Let L ^k be the graph formed by the lowest three levels of the Boolean lattice B _k , i.e.,V(L ^k )={0, 1,...,k, 12, 13,..., (k–1)k} and 0is connected toi for all 1ik, andij is connected toi andj (1i<jk).It is proved that if a graph G overn vertices has at leastk ^3/2 n ^3/2 edges, then it contains a copy of L ^k .Research supported in part by the Hungarian National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1812     

Imbedding of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds in a pseudo-euclidean space

It is proved that every pseudo-Riemannian manifold M _{(p, q)} ⁿ with the C^k metric (3k) has an isometric C^k imbedding in the large in E _{(p, q)} ^{n(n+1)(3n+11)/2} , p(n+1)², q(n+1)².Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 193–198, February, 1971.     

Asymptotic behavior of the dwell time distribution for a random walk on a positive semi-axis

Let ₁, ₂, ... be a sequence of independent identically distributed random variables with zero means. We consider the functional _n = _k=o ⁿ (S _k ) where S₁=0, S_k= _i=1 ^k _i (k1) and(x)=1 for x0,(x) = 0 for x<0. It is readily seen that _n is the time spent by the random walk S_n, n0, on the positive semi-axis after n steps. For the simplest walk the asymptotics of the distribution P (_n = k) for n and k, as well as for k = O(n) and k/n<1, was studied in [1]. In this paper we obtain the asymptotic expansions in powers of n^–1 of the probabilities P(h_n = nx) and P(nx_{1 n} nx₂) for 0<₁, x = k/n ₂<1, 0<₁x₁2₂<1.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 613–620, April, 1974.The author wishes to thank B. A. Rogozin for valuable discussions in the course of his work.     

On the Achievement of the Griesmer Bound

The main theorem in this paper is that there does not exist an [n,k,d]_q code with d = (k-2)q ^k-1 - (k-1)q^k-2 attaining the Griesmer bound for q k, k=3,4,5 and for q 2k-3, k 6.