Error-correcting codes derived from combinatorial games

Abstract

The ``losing positions" of certain combinatorial games constitute linear error detecting and correcting codes. We show that a large class of games that can be cast in the form of *annihilation games*, provides a potentially polynomial method for computing codes (*anncodes*). We also give a short proof of the basic properties of the previously known *lexicodes*, which are defined by means of an exponential algorithm, and are related to game theory. The set of lexicodes is seen to constitute a subset of the set of anncodes. In the final section we indicate, by means of an example, how the method of producing lexicodes can be applied optimally to find anncodes. Some extensions are indicated.