NETWORK CODING WITH MODULAR LATTICES

Abstract

Kötter and Kschischang presented in 2008 a new model for error correcting codes in network coding. The alphabet in this model is the subspace lattice of a given vector space, a code is a subset of this lattice and the used metric on this alphabet is the map d : (U, V) ↦ dim (U+V)- dim (U∩V). In this paper we generalize this model to arbitrary modular lattices, i.e. we consider codes, which are subsets of modular lattices. The used metric in this general case is the map d : (u, v) ↦ h(u ∨ v) - h(u ∧ v), where h is the height function of the lattice. We apply this model to submodule lattices. Moreover, we show a method to compute the size of spheres in certain modular lattices and present a sphere packing bound, a sphere covering bound, and a Singleton bound for codes, which are subsets of modular lattices.