An invariant-theoretic approach to three weight enumerators of self-dual quantum codes

Abstract

This article is a continuation of our recent work (Yin Chen and Runxuan Zhang, Shape enumerators of self-dual NRT codes over finite fields. SIAM J. Discrete Math. 38 (2024), no. 4, 2841-2854) in the setting of quantum error-correcting codes. We use algebraic invariant theory to study three weight enumerators of formally self-dual quantum codes over arbitrary finite fields. We derive a quantum analogue of Gleason's theorem, demonstrating that the weight enumerator of a formally self-dual quantum code can be expressed algebraically by two polynomials. We also show that the double weight enumerator of a formally self-dual quantum code can be expressed algebraically by five polynomials. We explicitly compute the complete weight enumerators of some special self-dual quantum codes. Our approach illustrates the potential of employing algebraic invariant theory to compute weight enumerators of self-dual quantum codes.