arXiv subjects

Sihem Mesnager

Publications and source records attributed to Sihem Mesnager.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

On $\ell$-rank additive intersection pairs (RAIP) of codes

This paper introduces and studies $\ell$-rank additive intersection pairs (RAIP) of codes over finite fields for a given positive integer $\ell$. The notion of $\ell$-RAIP provides a common framework that generalizes additive complementary dual (ACD) codes, additive complementary pairs (ACP) of codes, and the hull of an additive code. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions characterizing when a pair of additive codes forms an $\ell$-RAIP. Furthermore, for (q>2), we prove that any pair of additive codes is monomially equivalent to an ACP of codes. As a consequence, for (q>3), every additive code is monomially equivalent to an ACD code. { A key contribution of the paper is a general construction method for $\ell$-RAIP of codes derived from self-orthogonal additive codes, which yields families of $(\ell+1)$-RAIP of codes under suitable conditions.} In addition, several explicit constructions of $\ell$-RAIP of codes are presented.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Function-Correcting RT Codes: A Coding Framework for Parallel Channels

Function-correcting codes have recently emerged as an effective approach to reducing coding redundancy when the objective is to reliably recover only the prescribed function values of the transmitted information, rather than the complete message itself. As a natural generalization of the Hamming metric, the Rosenbloom--Tsfasman metric (RT-metric) has attracted considerable attention due to its relevance to communication over parallel channels. Motivated by these two research directions, we introduce in this paper function-correcting RT codes (FCRTCs), which extend the framework of function-correcting codes from the Hamming metric to the more general RT metric. To investigate the fundamental problem of optimal redundancy, we introduce a new class of matrix codes, called irregular RT-distance codes, and establish a direct correspondence between the redundancy optimization problem for FCRTCs and the construction of such codes. This connection provides a unified framework for deriving redundancy bounds under the RT metric. For arbitrary functions, we establish general upper and lower bounds on the optimal redundancy of FCRTCs. We then specialize our analysis to several important classes of functions, namely RT-weight functions, RT-weight distribution functions, and RT-locally-two-valued binary functions, for which substantially sharper bounds are obtained by exploiting their specific structural properties. Furthermore, we present explicit constructions of FCRTCs for RT-weight distribution functions and prove that these constructions attain the optimal redundancy bounds in several cases. The proposed framework considerably extends the theory of function-correcting codes to the RT metric, provides new theoretical tools for studying reliable communication over parallel channels, and opens new perspectives for redundancy-efficient coding beyond the classical Hamming setting.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Beyond Polynomials: Optimal Locally Recoverable Codes from Good Rational Functions

Locally recoverable codes (LRCs) have emerged as fundamental objects in modern coding theory, primarily due to their pivotal role in distributed and cloud storage systems. A major breakthrough in their construction was achieved by Tamo and Barg, who introduced the notion of \emph{good polynomials} as a key structural ingredient. In this article, we propose a natural generalization of this paradigm by introducing the concept of \emph{good rational functions}. Building upon this extension, we develop a unified and flexible framework for constructing optimal LRCs. To quantify the quality of a rational function, we embed the problem into the rich context of algebraic function field theory and Galois theory. This perspective allows us to extend the Galois-theoretic framework originally developed by Micheli for good polynomials. In particular, we derive structural and quantitative results on the number of totally split rational places associated with rational functions. Furthermore, we construct explicit families of good rational functions that outperform all good polynomials of the same degree. As a consequence, we obtain infinite families of optimal LRCs with improved parameters compared to those arising from the classical Tamo-Barg construction. These results highlight the intrinsic strength of our approach.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Function-Based Minimal Linear Codes over Galois Rings $\mathrm{GR}(p^{n}, \ell)$: Minimality Criteria and Infinite Constructions

In this paper, we extend a necessary and sufficient condition for a linear code over a Galois ring to be minimal and establish new bounds on the length of an $m$-dimensional minimal linear code. Building upon this structural characterization, we further generalize the function-based minimality criteria introduced by Wu \emph{et al.} (Cryptogr. Commun. 14, 875-895, 2022) from the finite field setting to the framework of Galois rings. The transition from fields to rings introduces substantial algebraic challenges due to the presence of zero divisors and the richer module structure of $\mathrm{GR}(p^{n},\ell)$. By exploiting Frobenius duality and the chain structure of Galois rings, we derive refined necessary and sufficient conditions ensuring that linear codes arising from functions over $\mathrm{GR}(p^{n},\ell)$ are minimal. As an application of these criteria, we construct several infinite families of minimal linear codes over Galois rings, thereby significantly generalizing the constructions of Wu \emph{et al.} to the ring setting. Our results provide a unified framework that connects minimality theory, module duality over Frobenius rings, and function-based code constructions.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Constructions of linear codes from vectorial plateaued functions and their subfield codes with applications to quantum CSS codes

Linear codes over finite fields parameterized by functions have proven to be a powerful tool in coding theory, yielding optimal and few-weight codes with significant applications in secret sharing, authentication codes, and association schemes. In 2023, Xu et al. introduced a construction framework for 3-dimensional linear codes parameterized by two functions, which has demonstrated considerable success in generating infinite families of optimal linear codes. Motivated by this approach, we propose a construction that extends the framework to three functions, thereby enhancing the flexibility of the parameters. Additionally, we introduce a vectorial setting by allowing vector-valued functions, expanding the construction space and the set of achievable structural properties. We analyze both scalar and vectorial frameworks, employing Bent and s-Plateaued functions, including Almost Bent, to define the code generators. By exploiting the properties of the Walsh transform, we determine the explicit parameters and weight distributions of these codes and their punctured versions. A key result of this study is that the constructed codes have few weights, and their duals are distance and dimensionally optimal with respect to both the Sphere Packing and Griesmer bounds. Furthermore, we establish a theoretical connection between our vectorial approach and the classical first generic construction of linear codes, providing sufficient conditions for the resulting codes to be minimal and self-orthogonal. Finally, we investigate applications to quantum coding theory within the Calderbank-Shor-Steane framework.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

A Post-Quantum Secure End-to-End Verifiable E-Voting Protocol Based on Multivariate Polynomials

Voting is a primary democratic activity through which voters select representatives or approve policies. Conventional paper ballot elections have several drawbacks that might compromise the fairness, effectiveness, and accessibility of the voting process. Therefore, there is an increasing need to design safer, effective, and easily accessible alternatives. E-Voting is one such solution that uses digital tools to simplify voting. Existing state-of-the-art designs for secure E-Voting are based on number-theoretic hardness assumptions. These designs are no longer secure due to quantum algorithms such as Shor's algorithm. We present the design and analysis of \textit{first} post-quantum secure end-to-end verifiable E-Voting protocol based on multivariate polynomials to address this issue. The security of our proposed design depends on the hardness of the MQ problem, which is an NP-hard problem. We present a simple yet efficient design involving only standard cryptographic primitives as building blocks.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2025

On Construction of Linear (Euclidean) Hull Codes over Finite Extensions Binary Fields

The hull of a linear code is defined as the intersection of the code and its dual. This concept was initially introduced to classify finite projective planes. The hull plays a crucial role in determining the complexity of algorithms used to check the permutation equivalence of two linear codes and compute a linear code's automorphism group. Research has shown that these algorithms are very effective when the hull size is small. Linear complementary dual (LCD) codes have the smallest hulls, while codes with a one-dimensional hull have the second smallest. A recent notable paper that directs our investigation is authored by H. Chen, titled ``On the Hull-Variation Problem of Equivalent Linear Codes", published in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, volume 69, issue 5, in 2023. In this paper, we first explore the one-dimensional hull of a linear code over finite fields. Additionally, we demonstrate that any LCD code over an extended binary field $ \FF_q $ (where $ q > 3 $) with a minimum distance of at least $2$ is equivalent to the one-dimensional hull of a linear code under a specific weak condition. Furthermore, we provide a construction for creating hulls with $ \ell + 1 $-dimensionality from an $ \ell $-dimensional hull of a linear code, again under a weak condition. This corresponds to a particularly challenging direction, as creating $ \ell $-dimensional hulls from $ \ell + 1 $-dimensional hulls. Finally, we derive several constructions for the $ \ell $-dimensional hulls of linear codes as a consequence of our results.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

On the Hamming Weight Functions of Linear Codes

Currently known secondary construction techniques for linear codes mainly include puncturing, shortening, and extending. In this paper, we propose a novel method for the secondary construction of linear codes based on their weight functions. Specifically, we develop a general framework that constructs new linear codes from the set of codewords in a given code having a fixed Hamming weight. We analyze the dimension, number of weights, and weight distribution of the constructed codes, and establish connections with the extendability of the original codes as well as the partial weight distribution of the derived codes. As a new tool, this framework enables us to establish an upper bound on the minimum weight of two-weight codes and to characterize all two-weight codes attaining this bound. Moreover, several divisibility properties concerning the parameters of two-weight codes are derived. The proposed method not only generates new families of linear codes but also provides a powerful approach for exploring the intrinsic combinatorial and geometric structures of existing codes.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Multilevel inserting constructions for constant dimension subspace codes

Subspace codes, especially constant dimension subspace codes (CDCs), represent an intriguing domain that can be used to conduct basic coding theory investigations. They have received widespread attention due to their applications in random network coding. This paper presents inverse bilateral multilevel construction by introducing inverse bilateral identifying vectors and inverse bilateral Ferrers diagram rank-metric codes. By inserting the inverse bilateral multilevel construction into the double multilevel construction and bilateral multilevel construction, an effective construction for CDCs is provided. Furthermore, via providing a new set of bilateral identifying vectors, we give another efficient construction for CDCs. In this article, several CDCs are exhibited, equipped with the rank-metric, with larger sizes than the known ones in the existing literature. From a practical standpoint, our results could help in the pragmatic framework of constant-dimension-lifted rank-metric codes for applications in network coding. The ratio of the new lower bound to the known upper bound for some CDCs is calculated, which is greater than 0.94548 for any prime power $q \geq 3.$

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Asymptotically Optimal Aperiodic and Periodic Sequence Sets with Low Ambiguity Zone Through Locally Perfect Nonlinear Functions

Low ambiguity zone (LAZ) sequences play a crucial role in modern integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. In this paper, we introduce a novel class of functions known as locally perfect nonlinear functions (LPNFs). By utilizing LPNFs and interleaving techniques, we propose three new classes of both periodic and aperiodic LAZ sequence sets with flexible parameters. The proposed periodic LAZ sequence sets are asymptotically optimal in relation to the periodic Ye-Zhou-Liu-Fan-Lei-Tang bound. Notably, the aperiodic LAZ sequence sets also asymptotically satisfy the aperiodic Ye-Zhou-Liu-Fan-Lei-Tang bound, marking the first construction in the literature. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed sequence sets are cyclically distinct.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

A Novel Approach for Bent Functions with Dillon-like Exponents and Characterizing Three Classes of Bent Functions via Kloosterman Sums

Dillon-like Boolean functions are known, in the literature, to be those trace polynomial functions from $\mathbb{F}_{2^{2n}}$ to $\mathbb{F}_{2}$, with all the exponents being multiples of $2^n-1$ often called Dillon-like exponents. This paper is devoted to bent functions in which we study the bentness of some classes of Dillon-like Boolean functions connected with rational trace functions. Specifically, we introduce a special infinite family of trace rational functions. We shall use these functions as building blocks and generalise notably a criterion due to Li et al. published in [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 59(3), pp. 1818-1831, 2013] on the bentness of Dillon-like functions in the binary case, we explicitly characterize three classes of bent functions. These characterizations are expressed in terms of the well-known binary Kloosterman sums. Furthermore, analysis and experiments indicate that new functions not EA-equivalent to all known classes of monomial functions are included in our classes.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2024

The Differential and Boomerang Properties of a Class of Binomials

Let $q$ be an odd prime power with $q\equiv 3\ ({\rm{mod}}\ 4)$. In this paper, we study the differential and boomerang properties of the function $F_{2,u}(x)=x^2\big(1+u\eta(x)\big)$ over $\mathbb{F}_{q}$, where $u\in\mathbb{F}_{q}^*$ and $\eta$ is the quadratic character of $\mathbb{F}_{q}$. We determine the differential uniformity of $F_{2,u}$ for any $u\in\mathbb{F}_{q}^*$ and determine the differential spectra and boomerang uniformity of the locally-APN functions $F_{2,\pm 1}$, thereby disproving a conjecture proposed in \cite{budaghyan2024arithmetization} which states that there exist infinitely many $q$ and $u$ such that $F_{2,u}$ is an APN function.

math.NT↗

arXiv2024

A new class of S-boxes with optimal Feistel boomerang uniformity

The Feistel Boomerang Connectivity Table ($\rm{FBCT}$), which is the Feistel version of the Boomerang Connectivity Table ($\rm{BCT}$), plays a vital role in analyzing block ciphers' ability to withstand strong attacks, such as boomerang attacks. However, as of now, only four classes of power functions are known to have explicit values for all entries in their $\rm{FBCT}$. In this paper, we focus on studying the FBCT of the power function $F(x)=x^{2^{n-2}-1}$ over $\mathbb{F}_{2^n}$, where $n$ is a positive integer. Through certain refined manipulations to solve specific equations over $\mathbb{F}_{2^n}$ and employing binary Kloosterman sums, we determine explicit values for all entries in the $\rm{FBCT}$ of $F(x)$ and further analyze its Feistel boomerang spectrum. Finally, we demonstrate that this power function exhibits the lowest Feistel boomerang uniformity.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

An in-depth study of the power function $x^{q+2}$ over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$: the differential, boomerang, and Walsh spectra, with an application to coding theory

Let $q = p^m$, where $p$ is an odd prime number and $m$ is a positive integer. In this paper, we examine the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$, which consists of $q^2$ elements. We first present an alternative method to determine the differential spectrum of the power function $f(x) = x^{q+2}$ on $\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$, incorporating several key simplifications. This methodology provides a new proof of the results established by Man, Xia, Li, and Helleseth in Finite Fields and Their Applications 84 (2022), 102100, which not only completely determine the differential spectrum of $f$ but also facilitate the analysis of its boomerang uniformity. Specifically, we determine the boomerang uniformity of $f$ for the cases where $q \equiv 1$ or $3$ (mod $6$), with the exception of the scenario where $p = 5$ and $m$ is even. Furthermore, for $p = 3$, we investigate the value distribution of the Walsh spectrum of $f$, demonstrating that it takes on only four distinct values. Using this result, we derive the weight distribution of a ternary cyclic code with four Hamming weights. The article integrates refined mathematical techniques from algebraic number theory and the theory of finite fields, employing several ingredients, such as exponential sums, to explore the cryptographic analysis of functions over finite fields. They can be used to explore the differential/boomerang uniformity across a wider range of functions.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

Permutation polynomials of finite fields of even characteristic from character sums

In this paper, we investigate permutation polynomials over the finite field $\mathbb F_{q^n}$ with $q=2^m$, focusing on those in the form $\mathrm{Tr}(Ax^{q+1})+L(x)$, where $A\in\mathbb F_{q^n}^*$ and $L$ is a $2$-linear polynomial over $\mathbb F_{q^n}$. By calculating certain character sums, we characterize these permutation polynomials and provide additional constructions.

math.NT↗

arXiv2024

Blockchain-Envisioned Post-Quantum Secure Sanitizable Signature for Audit Logs Management

Audit logs are one of the most important tools for transparently tracking system events and maintaining continuous oversight in corporate organizations and enterprise business systems. There are many cases where the audit logs contain sensitive data, or the audit logs are enormous. In these situations, dealing with a subset of the data is more practical than the entire data set. To provide a secure solution to handle these issues, a sanitizable signature scheme (SSS) is a viable cryptographic primitive. Herein, we first present the first post-quantum secure multivariate-based SSS, namely Mul-SAN. Our proposed design provides unforgeability, privacy, immutability, signer accountability, and sanitizer accountability under the assumption that the MQ problem is NP-hard. Mul-SAN is very efficient and only requires computing field multiplications and additions over a finite field for its implementation. Mul-SAN presents itself as a practical method to partially delegate control of the authenticated data in avenues like the healthcare industry and government organizations. We also explore using Blockchain to provide a tamper-proof and robust audit log mechanism.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

On a Class of Permutation Polynomials and Their Inverses

We introduce a class of permutation polynomial over $\mathbb F_{q^n}$ that can be written in the form $\frac{L(x)}{x^{q+1}}$ or $\frac{L(x^{q+1})}x$ for some $q$-linear polynomial $L$ over $\mathbb F_{q^n}$. Specifically, we present those permutation polynomials explicitly as well as their inverses. In addition, more permutation polynomials can be derived in a more general form.

math.NT↗

arXiv2024

Characterizations of a Class of Planar Functions over Finite Fields

Planar functions, introduced by Dembowski and Ostrom, have attracted much attention in the last decade. As shown in this paper, we present a new class of planar functions of the form $\operatorname{Tr}(ax^{q+1})+\ell(x^2)$ on an extension of the finite field $\mathbb F_{q^n}/\mathbb F_q$. Specifically, we investigate those functions on $\mathbb F_{q^2}/\mathbb F_q$ and construct several typical kinds of planar functions. We also completely characterize them on $\mathbb F_{q^3}/\mathbb F_q$. When the degree of extension is higher, it will be proved that such planar functions do not exist given certain conditions.

math.NT↗