On Multiplicative Matrix Channels over Finite Chain Rings

Abstract: Motivated by physical-layer network coding, this paper considers communication in multiplicative matrix channels over finite chain rings. Such channels are defined by the law $Y =A X$, where $X$ and $Y$ are the input and output matrices, respectively, and $A$ is called the transfer matrix. It is assumed a coherent scenario in which the instances of the transfer matrix are unknown to the transmitter, but available to the receiver. It is also assumed that $A$ and $X$ are independent. Besides that, no restrictions on the statistics of $A$ are imposed. As contributions, a closed-form expression for the channel capacity is obtained, and a coding scheme for the channel is proposed. It is then shown that the scheme can achieve the capacity with polynomial time complexity and can provide correcting guarantees under a worst-case channel model. The results in the paper extend the corresponding ones for finite fields.