New covering codes of radius $R$, codimension $tR$ and $tR+\frac{R}{2}$, and saturating sets in projective spaces

Abstract

The length function $\ell_q(r,R)$ is the smallest length of a $ q $-ary linear code of codimension $r$ and covering radius $R$. In this work we obtain new constructive upper bounds on $\ell_q(r,R)$ for all $R\ge4$, $r=tR$, $t\ge2$, and also for all even $R\ge2$, $r=tR+\frac{R}{2}$, $t\ge1$. The new bounds are provided by infinite families of new covering codes with fixed $R$ and increasing codimension. The new bounds improve upon the known ones. We propose a general regular construction (called ``Line+Ovals'') of a minimal $\rho$-saturating $((\rho+1)q+1)$-set in the projective space $\mathrm{PG}(2\rho+1,q)$ for all $\rho\ge0$. Such a set corresponds to an $[Rq+1,Rq+1-2R,3]_qR$ locally optimal$^1$ code of covering radius $R=\rho+1$. Basing on combinatorial properties of these codes regarding to spherical capsules$^1$, we give constructions for code codimension lifting and obtain infinite families of new surface-covering$^1$ codes with codimension $r=tR$, $t\ge2$. In addition, we obtain new 1-saturating sets in the projective plane $\mathrm{PG}(2,q^2)$ and, basing on them, construct infinite code families with fixed even radius $R\ge2$ and codimension $r=tR+\frac{R}{2}$, $t\ge1$. ($^1$ see the definitions in Section 1)