Optimal quaternary $(r,δ)$-Locally Recoverable Codes: Their Structures and Complete Classification

Aiming to recover the data from several concurrent node failures, linear $r$-LRC codes with locality $r$ were extended into $(r, \delta)$-LRC codes with locality $(r, \delta)$ which can enable the local recovery of a failed node in case of more than one node failure. Optimal LRC codes are those whose parameters achieve the generalized Singleton bound with equality. In the present paper, we are interested in studying optimal LRC codes over small fields and, more precisely, over $\mathbb{F}_4$. We shall adopt an approach by investigating optimal quaternary $(r,\delta)$-LRC codes through their parity-check matrices. Our study includes determining the structural properties of optimal $(r,\delta)$-LRC codes, their constructions, and their complete classification over $\F_4$ by browsing all possible parameters. We emphasize that the precise structure of optimal quaternary $(r,\delta)$-LRC codes and their classification are obtained via the parity-check matrix approach use proofs-techniques different from those used recently for optimal binary and ternary $(r,\delta)$-LRC codes obtained by Hao et al. in [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 2020, 66(12): 7465-7474].