Exponential sums and Goppa codes. II

For pt.I, see Proc. AMS, vol.III, p.523-31 (1991). The minimum distance of a Goppa code is found when the length of code satisfies a certain inequality on the degree of the Goppa polynomial. In order to do this, conditions are improved on a theorem of E. Bombieri (1966). This improvement is used also to generalize a previous result on the minimum distance of the dual of a Goppa code. This approach is generalized and results are obtained about the parameters of a class of subfield subcodes of geometric Goppa codes; in other words, the covering radii are estimated, and further, the number of information symbols whenever the minimum distance is small in relation to the length of the code is found. Finally, a bound on the minimum distance of the dual code is discussed