Schubert varieties, linear codes and enumerative combinatorics

We consider linear error correcting codes associated to higher-dimensional projective varieties defined over a finite field. The problem of determining the basic parameters of such codes often leads to some interesting and difficult questions in combinatorics and algebraic geometry. This is illustrated by codes associated to Schubert varieties in Grassmannians, called Schubert codes, which have recently been studied. The basic parameters such as the length, dimension and minimum distance of these codes are known only in special cases. An upper bound for the minimum distance is known and it is conjectured that this bound is achieved. We give explicit formulae for the length and dimension of arbitrary Schubert codes and prove the minimum distance conjecture in the affirmative for codes associated to Schubert divisors. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.