Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Let $q=p^f$, where $p$ is prime. We prove that every $q$-ary linear code meeting the Griesmer bound, with positive dimension and minimum distance $d\ge1$, is $p^{\max\{0,ν_p(d)-f+1\}}$-divisible, as asserted in Ward's conjecture. Arbitrary projective column multiplicities are allowed. The geometric ingredient is a bound independent of dimension: a nonzero scalar-invariant function $F:\mathbb{F}_q^k\to\mathbb{F}_p$, with $F(0)=0$ and prime-field algebraic degree at most $(f+s)(p-1)$, vanishes identically on at most $p^s(q-1)$ linear hyperplanes when $0\le s
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Zhang, Guanghui
Institution: Suqian University
Language: English
Subfield: Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223002926