A Z/sub 8/-linear lift of the binary Golay code and a nonlinear binary (96,2/sup 37/,24)-code

We use a generalized Gray isometry in order to construct a previously unknown nonlinear (96,2/sup 36/,24) code as the image of a Z/sub 8/-linear Hensel lift of the binary Golay code. The union of this code with a relevant coset yields a (96,2/sup 37/,24) code. We show that this code and some of its shortenings are better than the best (non)linear binary codes known so far. For instance, the best earlier known code of length 96 and minimum distance 24 had 2/sup 88/ words.