Self-dual additive codes

Abstract

We define a self-dual code over a finite abelian group in terms of an arbitrary duality on the ambient space. We determine when additive self-dual codes exist over abelian groups for any duality and describe various constructions for these codes. We prove that there must exist self-dual codes under any duality for codes over a finite abelian group $${\mathbb {Z}}_{p^e}$$ . They exist for all lengths when p is prime and e is even; all even lengths when p is an odd prime with $$p \equiv 1 \pmod {4}$$ and e is odd with $$e>1$$ ; and all lengths that are $$0 \pmod {4}$$ when p is an odd prime with $$p \equiv 3 \pmod {4}$$ and e is odd with $$e>1.$$