Twisted Linearized Reed-Solomon Codes: A Skew Polynomial Framework

Abstract: We provide an algebraic description for sum-rank metric codes, as quotient space of a skew polynomial ring. This approach generalizes at the same time the skew group algebra setting for rank-metric codes and the polynomial setting for codes in the Hamming metric. This allows to construct twisted linearized Reed-Solomon codes, a new family of maximum sum-rank distance codes extending at the same time Sheekey's twisted Gabidulin codes in the rank metric and twisted Reed-Solomon codes in the Hamming metric. Furthermore, we provide an analogue in the sum-rank metric of Trombetti-Zhou construction, which also provides a family of maximum sum-rank distance codes. As a byproduct, in the extremal case of the Hamming metric, we obtain a new family of additive MDS codes over quadratic fields.