An Approximate Coding-Rate Versus Minimum Distance Formula for Binary   Codes
  We devise an analytically simple as well as invertible approximate expression, which describes the relation between the minimum distance of a binary code and the corresponding maximum attainable code-rate. For example, for a rate-(1/4), length-256 binary code the best known bounds limit the attainable minimum distance to 65<d(n=256,k=64)<90, while our solution yields d(n=256,k=64)=74.4. The proposed formula attains the approximation accuracy within the rounding error for ~97% of (n,k) scenarios, where the exact value of the minimum distance is known. The results provided may be utilized for the analysis and design of efficient communication systems. 
Yosef Akhtman, Robert G. Maunder and Lajos Hanzo
cs.IT math.IT