Codes over Gaussian integers

The author shows how block codes over Gaussian integers can be used for coding over two-dimensional signal space. He introduces a two-dimensional modular distance called the Mannheim distance and proposes using codes designed for this distance. Some simple constructions of such codes are given, among them icyclic codes which belong to the class of constacyclic codes. As a special case icyclic codes include perfect one Mannheim error correcting codes. For most of the codes considered efficient decoders are given and their performance on the Gaussian channel is investigated. >