Self-dual (48,24;12) codes

Abstract

Two self-dual (48,24;12) codes are constructed as 6 x 8 matrices whose columns add up to form an extended BCH-Hamming (8,4;4) code and whose rows sum to odd or even parity. The codes constructed have the identical weight structure of the extended quadratic residue code of length 48. Algebraic isomorphisms may exist between pairs of these three codes. However, because of their matrix form, the newly constructed codes are easily correctable for all five-error and many six-error patterns. The first code comes from restricting a binary cyclic (63,18;36) code to a 6 x 7 matrix and then adjoining six dimensions to the extended 6 x 8 matrix. These six dimensions are generated by linear combinations of row permutations of a 6 x 8 matrix of weight 12, whose sums of rows and columns add to one. The second code comes from a slight modification in the parity (eighth) dimension of the Reed-Solomon (8,4;5) code over GF(64). Error correction in both codes uses the row sum parity information to detect errors in the correction algorithm.