A Generalization of the ASR Search Algorithm to 2-Generator Quasi-Twisted Codes

One of the central problems in coding theory is to construct codes with best possible parameters and properties. A special class of codes called quasi-twisted (QT) codes is well-known to produce codes with good parameters. Most of the work on QT codes has been over the 1-generator case. In this work, we focus on 2-generator QT codes and generalize the ASR algorithm that has been very effective to produce new linear codes from 1-generator QT codes. As a result of implementing the generalized algorithm, we have found 103 2-generator QT codes that are new among the class of QT codes. Additionally, most of these codes possess the following additional properties: a) they have the same parameters as best known linear codes, and b) many of them have additional desired properties such as being LCD and dual-containing. Further, we have also found a binary 2-generator QT code that is new (record breaking) among all binary linear codes [I] and its extension yields another record breaking binary linear code.