How many weights can a linear code have?

International audienceWe study the combinatorial function L(k, q), the maximum number of nonzero weights a linear code of dimension k over F q can have. We determine it completely for q = 2, and for k = 2, and provide upper and lower bounds in the general case when both k and q are ≥ 3. A refinement L(n, k, q), as well as nonlinear analogues N (M, q) and N (n, M, q), are also introduced and studied