On some questions related to the Gauss conjecture for function fields

We show that, for any finite field Fq, there exist infinitely many real quadratic function fields over Fq such that the numerator of their zeta function is a separable polynomial. As pointed out by Anglès, this is a necessary condition for the existence, for any finite field Fq, of infinitely many real function fields over Fq with ideal class number one (the so-called Gauss conjecture for function fields). We also show conditionally the existence of infinitely many real quadratic function fields over Fq such that the numerator of their zeta function is an irreducible polynomial.     

On subword decomposition and balanced polynomials

Let H(x) be a monic polynomial over a finite field F=GF(q). Denote by Na(n) the number of coefficients in Hn which are equal to an element a∈F, and by G the set of elements a∈F^× such that Na(n)>0 for some n. We study the relationship between the numbers (Na(n))_a∈G and the patterns in the base q representation of n. This enables us to prove that for “most” n's we have Na(n)≈Nb(n), a,b∈G. Considering the case H=x+1, we provide new results on Pascal's triangle modulo a prime. We also provide analogous results for the triangle of Stirling numbers of the first kind.     

Rational functions over finite fields having continued fraction expansions with linear partial quotients

Let F be a finite field with q elements and let g be a polynomial in F[X] with positive degree less than or equal to q/2. We prove that there exists a polynomial f∈F[X], coprime to g and of degree less than g, such that all of the partial quotients in the continued fraction of g/f have degree 1. This result, bounding the size of the partial quotients, is related to a function field equivalent of Zaremba's conjecture and improves on a result of Blackburn [S.R. Blackburn, Orthogonal sequences of polynomials over arbitrary fields, J. Number Theory 6 (1998) 99-111]. If we further require g to be irreducible then we can loosen the degree restriction on g to deg(g)?q.     

Using Stepanov's method for exponential sums involving rational functions

For any additive character ψ and multiplicative character χ on a finite field F_q, and rational functions f,g in F_q(x), we show that the elementary Stepanov-Schmidt method can be used to obtain the corresponding Weil bound for the sum ∑_x∈Fq?Sχ(g(x))ψ(f(x)) where S is the set of the poles of f and g. We also determine precisely the number of characteristic values ω_i of modulus q^1/2 and the number of modulus 1.     

The number of polynomial functions which permute the matrices over a finite field

Let F = GF(q) denote the finite field of order q, and let F_n×n denote the algebra of n × n matrices over F. A function f:F_n×n → F_n×n is called a scalar polynomial function if there exists a polynomial f(x) ?F[x] which represents f when considered as a matrix function under substitution. In this paper a formula is obtained for the number of permutations of F_n×n which are scalar polynomial functions.     

On the subfields of cyclotomic function fields

Let K = F(T) be the rational function field over a finite field of q elements. For any polynomial f(T) ∈ F [T] with positive degree, denote by Λ _f the torsion points of the Carlitz module for the polynomial ring F[T]. In this short paper, we will determine an explicit formula for the analytic class number for the unique subfield M of the cyclotomic function field K(Λ _P ) of degree k over F(T), where P ∈ F[T] is an irreducible polynomial of positive degree and k > 1 is a positive divisor of q ? 1. A formula for the analytic class number for the maximal real subfield M ⁺ of M is also presented. Futhermore, a relative class number formula for ideal class group of M will be given in terms of Artin L-function in this paper.     

Dilation of Newton Polytope and <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-adic Estimate

Let f(X) be a polynomial in n variables over the finite field  \mathbbF_q\mathbb{F}_{q}. Its Newton polytope Δ(f) is the convex closure in ℝ ⁿ of the origin and the exponent vectors (viewed as points in ℝ ⁿ ) of monomials in f(X). The minimal dilation of Δ(f) such that it contains at least one lattice point of $\mathbb{Z}_{>0}^{n}$\mathbb{Z}_{>0}^{n} plays a vital pole in the p-adic estimate of the number of zeros of f(X) in  \mathbbF_q\mathbb{F}_{q}. Using this fact, we obtain several tight and computational bounds for the dilation which unify and improve a number of previous results in this direction.     

On the variation of Tate-Shafarevich groups of elliptic curves over hyperelliptic curves

Let E be an elliptic curve over F=F_q(t) having conductor (p)·∞, where (p) is a prime ideal in F_q[t]. Let d∈F_q[t] be an irreducible polynomial of odd degree, and let . Assume (p) remains prime in K. We prove the analogue of the formula of Gross for the special value L(E⊗_FK,1). As a consequence, we obtain a formula for the order of the Tate-Shafarevich group Ш(E/K) when L(E⊗_FK,1)≠0.     

Newtonian and Schinzel sequences in a domain

A Schinzel or F sequence in a domain is such that, for every ideal I with norm q, its first q terms form a system of representatives modulo I, and a Newton or N sequence such that the first q terms serve as a test set for integer-valued polynomials of degree less than q. Strong F and strong N sequences are such that one can use any set of q consecutive terms, not only the first ones, finally a very well F ordered sequence, for short, a V.W.F sequence, is such that, for each ideal I with norm q, and each integer s,{u_sq,…,u_(s+1)q−1} is a complete set of representatives modulo I. In a quasilocal domain, V.W.F sequences and N sequences are the same, so are strong F and strong N sequences. Our main result is that a strong N sequence is a sequence which is locally a strong F sequence, and an N sequence a sequence which is locally a V.W.F. sequence. We show that, for F sequences there is a bound on the number of ideals of a given norm. In particular, a sequence is a strong F sequence if and only if it is a strong N sequence and for each prime p, there is at most one prime ideal with finite residue field of characteristic p. All results are refined to sequences of finite length.     

The distribution of class groups of function fields

For any sufficiently general family of curves over a finite field F_q and any elementary abelian ?-group H with ? relatively prime to q, we give an explicit formula for the proportion of curves C for which Jac(C)[?](F_q)≅H. In doing so, we prove a conjecture of Friedman and Washington.     

Newton stratification for polynomials: The open stratum

In this paper we consider the Newton polygons of L-functions coming from additive exponential sums associated to a polynomial over a finite field Fq. These polygons define a stratification of the space of polynomials of fixed degree. We determine the open stratum: we give the generic Newton polygon for polynomials of degree d?2 when the characteristic p?3d, and the Hasse polynomial over Fp, i.e. the equation defining the hypersurface complementary to the open stratum.     

On the tensor rank of the multiplication in the finite fields

First, we prove the existence of certain types of non-special divisors of degree g−1 in the algebraic function fields of genus g defined over Fq. Then, it enables us to obtain upper bounds of the tensor rank of the multiplication in any extension of quadratic finite fields Fq by using Shimura and modular curves defined over Fq. From the preceding results, we obtain upper bounds of the tensor rank of the multiplication in any extension of certain non-quadratic finite fields Fq, notably in the case of F₂. These upper bounds attain the best asymptotic upper bounds of Shparlinski-Tsfasman-Vladut [I.E. Shparlinski, M.A. Tsfasman, S.G. Vladut, Curves with many points and multiplication in finite fields, in: Lecture Notes in Math., vol. 1518, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1992, pp. 145-169].     

On the derivative of meromorphic functions with multiple zeros

Let f be a transcendental meromorphic function and let R be a rational function, R?0. We show that if all zeros and poles of f are multiple, except possibly finitely many, then f′−R has infinitely many zeros. If f has finite order and R is a polynomial, then the conclusion holds without the hypothesis that poles be multiple.     

Counting hyperelliptic curves

We find a closed formula for the number hyp(g) of hyperelliptic curves of genus g over a finite field k=Fq of odd characteristic. These numbers hyp(g) are expressed as a polynomial in q with integer coefficients that depend on g and the set of divisors of q−1 and q+1. As a by-product we obtain a closed formula for the number of self-dual curves of genus g. A hyperelliptic curve is defined to be self-dual if it is k-isomorphic to its own hyperelliptic twist.     

Newton Polygons of L Functions Associated with Exponential Sums of Polynomials of Degree Four over Finite Fields

Let F_q be the finite field of q elements with characteristic p and F_q^m its extension of degree m. Fix a nontrivial additive character Ψ of F_p. If f(x₁,…, x_n)∈F_q[x₁,…, x_n] is a polynomial, then one forms the exponential sum S_m(f)=∑_{(x1,…,xn)∈(Fq^m)ⁿ}Ψ(Tr_Fq^m/Fp(f(x₁,…,x_n))). The corresponding L functions are defined by L(f, t)=exp(∑^∞_m=0S_m(f)t^m/m). In this paper, we apply Dwork's method to determine the Newton polygon for the L function L(f(x), t) associated with one variable polynomial f(x) when deg f(x)=4. As an application, we also give an affirmative answer to Wan's conjecture for the case deg f(x)=4.     

A lower bound for the number of solutions of equations over finite fields

Let f(X₁,…, X_n) be an absolutely irreducible polynomial with coefficients in a finite field. Elementary methods are used to derive an explicit lower bound for the number of zeros of f.     

Systèmes dynamiques et lois de groupe formel sur les corps finis

Imitating the Lubin's philosophy on nonarchimedean dynamical systems, we prove that every finite family of inversibles series of Fq[[X]] which commute for the law ○ is connected with a finite family of automorphisms of a formal group over Fq. In some cases these formal groups are reduction on Fq of Lubin-Tate formal groups over finite extensions of Qp.     

Constructing quasi-cyclic codes from linear algebra theory

Let F _q be a finite field of cardinality q, l and m be positive integers and M _l (F _q ) the F _q -algebra of all l × l matrices over F _q . We investigate the relationship between monic factors of X ^m ? 1 in the polynomial ring M _l (F _q )[X] and quasi-cyclic (QC) codes of length lm and index l over F _q . Then we consider the idea of constructing QC codes from monic factors of X ^m ? 1 in polynomial rings over F _q -subalgebras of M _l (F _q ). This idea includes ideas of constructing QC codes of length lm and index l over F _q from cyclic codes of length m over a finite field F _q l, the finite chain ring F _q  + uF _q  + · · · + u ^{l ? 1} F _q (u ^l  = 0) and other type of finite chain rings.     

Nullstellenzahlen von Polynomfunktionen auf Restklassenringen

Let ?/n? denote the ring of integers mod n. By a polynomial function f over ?/n? will be meant a mapping of ?/n? into itself which is induced by a polynomial f(x) ∈ ?[x]. We ask how many zeros of f are possible. The main result is a formula for the maximal number of zeros of non-vanishing polynomial functions mod n.     

On coefficients of polynomials over finite fields

In this paper we study the relation between coefficients of a polynomial over finite field Fq and the moved elements by the mapping that induces the polynomial. The relation is established by a special system of linear equations. Using this relation we give the lower bound on the number of nonzero coefficients of polynomial that depends on the number m of moved elements. Moreover we show that there exist permutation polynomials of special form that achieve this bound when m|q−1. In the other direction, we show that if the number of moved elements is small then there is an recurrence relation among these coefficients. Using these recurrence relations, we improve the lower bound of nonzero coefficients when m?q−1 and . As a byproduct, we show that the moved elements must satisfy certain polynomial equations if the mapping induces a polynomial such that there are only two nonzero coefficients out of 2m consecutive coefficients. Finally we provide an algorithm to compute the coefficients of the polynomial induced by a given mapping with O(q3/2) operations.