CCZ-equivalence of bent vectorial functions and related constructions

We observe that the CCZ-equivalence of bent vectorial functions over ${{\bf F}_2^n}$ (n even) reduces to their EA-equivalence. Then we show that in spite of this fact, CCZ-equivalence can be used for constructing bent functions which are new up to EA-equivalence and therefore to CCZ-equivalence: applying CCZ-equivalence to a non-bent vectorial function F which has some bent components, we get a function F?? which also has some bent components and whose bent components are CCZ-inequivalent to the components of the original function F. Using this approach we construct classes of nonquadratic bent Boolean and bent vectorial functions.     

More constructions of APN and differentially 4-uniform functions by concatenation

We study further the method of concatenating the outputs of two functions for designing an APN or a differentially 4-uniform (n, n)-function for every even n. We deduce several specific constructions of APN or differentially 4-uniform (n, n)-functions from APN and differentially 4-uniform (n/2, n/2)-functions. We also give a construction of quadratic APN functions which includes as particular cases a previous construction by the author and a more recent construction by Pott and Zhou.     

Gowers $$U_3$$ norm of some classes of bent Boolean functions

The Gowers \(U_3\) norm of a Boolean function is a measure of its resistance to quadratic approximations. It is known that smaller the Gowers \(U_3\) norm for a Boolean function larger is its resistance to quadratic approximations. Here, we compute Gowers \(U_3\) norms for some classes of Maiorana–McFarland bent functions. In particular, we explicitly determine the value of the Gowers \(U_3\) norm of Maiorana–McFarland bent functions obtained by using APN permutations. We prove that this value is always smaller than the Gowers \(U_3\) norms of Maiorana–McFarland bent functions obtained by using differentially \(\delta \)-uniform permutations, for all \(\delta \ge 4\). We also compute the Gowers \(U_3\) norms for a class of cubic monomial functions, not necessarily bent, and show that for \(n=6\), these norm values are less than that of Maiorana–McFarland bent functions. Further, we computationally show that there exist 6-variable functions in this class which are not bent but achieve the maximum second-order nonlinearity for 6 variables.     

Bent and generalized bent Boolean functions

In this paper, we investigate the properties of generalized bent functions defined on ${\mathbb{Z}_2^n}$ with values in ${\mathbb{Z}_q}$ , where q ≥ 2 is any positive integer. We characterize the class of generalized bent functions symmetric with respect to two variables, provide analogues of Maiorana–McFarland type bent functions and Dillon’s functions in the generalized set up. A class of bent functions called generalized spreads is introduced and we show that it contains all Dillon type generalized bent functions and Maiorana–McFarland type generalized bent functions. Thus, unification of two different types of generalized bent functions is achieved. The crosscorrelation spectrum of generalized Dillon type bent functions is also characterized. We further characterize generalized bent Boolean functions defined on ${\mathbb{Z}_2^n}$ with values in ${\mathbb{Z}_4}$ and ${\mathbb{Z}_8}$ . Moreover, we propose several constructions of such generalized bent functions for both n even and n odd.     

Classification of self dual quadratic bent functions

We classify all self dual and anti self dual quadratic bent functions in 2n variables under the action of the orthogonal group O(2n,\mathbb F₂){{O}(2n,\mathbb F_2)} . This is done through a classification of all 2n × 2n involutory alternating matrices over \mathbb F₂{\mathbb F_2} under the action of the orthogonal group. The sizes of the O(2n,\mathbb F₂){{O}(2n,\mathbb F_2)} -orbits of self dual and anti self dual quadratic bent functions are determined explicitly.     

On the equivalence of quadratic APN functions

Establishing the CCZ-equivalence of a pair of APN functions is generally quite difficult. In some cases, when seeking to show that a putative new infinite family of APN functions is CCZ inequivalent to an already known family, we rely on computer calculation for small values of n. In this paper we present a method to prove the inequivalence of quadratic APN functions with the Gold functions. Our main result is that a quadratic function is CCZ-equivalent to the APN Gold function x^2r+1{x^{2^r+1}} if and only if it is EA-equivalent to that Gold function. As an application of this result, we prove that a trinomial family of APN functions that exist on finite fields of order 2 ⁿ where n ≡ 2 mod 4 are CCZ inequivalent to the Gold functions. The proof relies on some knowledge of the automorphism group of a code associated with such a function.     

On the symmetric properties of APN functions

We study the symmetric properties of APN functions as well as the structure and properties of the range of an arbitrary APN function. We prove that there is no permutation of variables that preserves the values of an APN function. Upper bounds for the number of symmetric coordinate Boolean functions in an APN function and its coordinate functions invariant under a cyclic shift are obtained. For n ≤ 6, some upper bounds for the maximal number of identical values of an APN function are given and a lower bound is found for different values of an arbitrary APN function of n variables.     

Normal Boolean functions

Dobbertin (Construction of bent functions and balanced Boolean functions with high nonlinearity, in: Fast Software Encryption, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 1008, Springer, Berlin, 1994, pp. 61–74) introduced the normality of bent functions. His work strengthened the interest for the study of the restrictions of Boolean functions on k-dimensional flats providing the concept of k-normality. Using recent results on the decomposition of any Boolean functions with respect to some subspace, we present several formulations of k-normality. We later focus on some highly linear functions, bent functions and almost optimal functions. We point out that normality is a property for which these two classes are strongly connected. We propose several improvements for checking normality, again based on specific decompositions introduced in Canteaut et al. (IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, 47(4) (2001) 1494), Canteaut and Charpin (IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory). As an illustration, we show that cubic bent functions of 8 variables are normal.     

A matrix approach for constructing quadratic APN functions

A one to one correspondence is given between quadratic homogeneous APN functions and a special kind of matrices which we call as QAM’s. By modifying the elements of a known QAM, new quadratic APN functions can be constructed. Based on the nice mathematical structures of the QAM’s, an efficient algorithm for constructing quadratic APN functions is proposed. On \(\mathbb {F}_{2^7}\) , we have found 471 new CCZ-inequivalent quadratic APN functions, which is 20 times more than the number of the previously known ones. Before this paper, It is only found 23 classes of CCZ-inequivalent APN functions on \(\mathbb {F}_{2^8}\) . With the method of this paper, we have found 2,252 new CCZ-inequivalent quadratic APN functions, and this number is still increasing.     

Bundles, presemifields and nonlinear functions

Bundles are equivalence classes of functions derived from equivalence classes of transversals. They preserve measures of resistance to differential and linear cryptanalysis. For functions over GF(2 ⁿ ), affine bundles coincide with EA-equivalence classes. From equivalence classes (“bundles”) of presemifields of order p ⁿ , we derive bundles of functions over GF(p ⁿ ) of the form λ(x)*ρ(x), where λ, ρ are linearised permutation polynomials and * is a presemifield multiplication. We prove there are exactly p bundles of presemifields of order p ² and give a representative of each. We compute all bundles of presemifields of orders p ⁿ ≤ 27 and in the isotopism class of GF(32) and we measure the differential uniformity of the derived λ(x)*ρ(x). This technique produces functions with low differential uniformity, including PN functions (p odd), and quadratic APN and differentially 4-uniform functions (p = 2).     

Construction of bent functions via Niho power functions

A Boolean function with an even number n=2k of variables is called bent if it is maximally nonlinear. We present here a new construction of bent functions. Boolean functions of the form f(x)=tr(α₁x^d₁+α₂x^d₂), α₁,α₂,x∈F_2ⁿ, are considered, where the exponents d_i (i=1,2) are of Niho type, i.e. the restriction of x^d_i on F_2^k is linear. We prove for several pairs of (d₁,d₂) that f is a bent function, when α₁ and α₂ fulfill certain conditions. To derive these results we develop a new method to prove that certain rational mappings on F_2ⁿ are bijective.     

Boolean functions with MacWilliams duality

We introduce a new class of Boolean functions for which the MacWilliams duality holds, called MacWilliams-dual functions, by considering a dual notion on Boolean functions. By using the MacWilliams duality, we prove the Gleason-type theorem on MacWilliams-dual functions. We show that a collection of MacWilliams-dual functions contains all the bent functions and all formally self-dual functions. We also obtain the Pless power moments for MacWilliams-dual functions. Furthermore, as an application, we prove the nonexistence of bent functions in 2n variables with minimum degree n?k for any nonnegative integer k and n ≥ N with some positive integer N under a certain condition.     

Hyper-bent functions and cyclic codes

Bent functions are those Boolean functions whose Hamming distance to the Reed-Muller code of order 1 equal 2^n-1-2^n/2-1 (where the number n of variables is even). These combinatorial objects, with fascinating properties, are rare. Few constructions are known, and it is difficult to know whether the bent functions they produce are peculiar or not, since no way of generating at random bent functions on 8 variables or more is known.The class of bent functions contains a subclass of functions whose properties are still stronger and whose elements are still rarer. Youssef and Gong have proved the existence of such hyper-bent functions, for every even n. We prove that the hyper-bent functions they exhibit are exactly those elements of the well-known PS_ap class, introduced by Dillon, up to the linear transformations x?δx, . Hyper-bent functions seem still more difficult to generate at random than bent functions; however, by showing that they all can be obtained from some codewords of an extended cyclic code H_n with small dimension, we can enumerate them for up to 10 variables. We study the non-zeroes of H_n and we deduce that the algebraic degree of hyper-bent functions is n/2. We also prove that the functions of class PS_ap are some codewords of weight 2^n-1-2^n/2-1 of a subcode of H_n and we deduce that for some n, depending on the factorization of 2ⁿ-1, the only hyper-bent functions on n variables are the elements of the class , obtained from PS_ap by composing the functions by the transformations x?δx, δ≠0, and by adding constant functions. We prove that non- hyper-bent functions exist for n=4, but it is not clear whether they exist for greater n. We also construct potentially new bent functions for n=12.     

On differential uniformity and nonlinearity of functions

We present results related to vectorial plateaued functions and mappings whose derivatives are 2^s-to-1 functions. The results in this note generalize facts about almost perfect nonlinear and almost bent functions. We investigate the connection between plateaued and 2^s-to-1 functions. We show that functions which are both plateaued and differentially uniform give rise to partial difference sets.     

Birkhoff integral for multi-valued functions

The aim of this paper is to study Birkhoff integrability for multi-valued maps , where (Ω,Σ,μ) is a complete finite measure space, X is a Banach space and cwk(X) is the family of all non-empty convex weakly compact subsets of X. It is shown that the Birkhoff integral of F can be computed as the limit for the Hausdorff distance in cwk(X) of a net of Riemann sums ∑_nμ(A_n)F(t_n). We link Birkhoff integrability with Debreu integrability, a notion introduced to replace sums associated to correspondences when studying certain models in Mathematical Economics. We show that each Debreu integrable multi-valued function is Birkhoff integrable and that each Birkhoff integrable multi-valued function is Pettis integrable. The three previous notions coincide for finite dimensional Banach spaces and they are different even for bounded multi-valued functions when X is infinite dimensional and X∗ is assumed to be separable. We show that when F takes values in the family of all non-empty convex norm compact sets of a separable Banach space X, then F is Pettis integrable if, and only if, F is Birkhoff integrable; in particular, these Pettis integrable F's can be seen as single-valued Pettis integrable functions with values in some other adequate Banach space. Incidentally, to handle some of the constructions needed we prove that if X is an Asplund Banach space, then cwk(X) is separable for the Hausdorff distance if, and only if, X is finite dimensional.     

Higher order duality in multiobjective fractional programming with support functions

In this paper a new class of higher order (F,ρ,σ)-type I functions for a multiobjective programming problem is introduced, which subsumes several known studied classes. Higher order Mond-Weir and Schaible type dual programs are formulated for a nondifferentiable multiobjective fractional programming problem where the objective functions and the constraints contain support functions of compact convex sets in Rn. Weak and strong duality results are studied in both the cases assuming the involved functions to be higher order (F,ρ,σ)-type I. A number of previously studied problems appear as special cases.     

The essential dependence of Kasami bent functions on the products of variables

Kasami bent functions have the most complicated properties in the class of algebraic constructions of bent functions. We prove that the degree t Kasami functions have nonzero order t ? 2 derivatives for 4 ≤ t ≤ (n + 3)/3 and nonzero order t ? 3 derivatives for (n + 3)/3 < t ≤ n/2. We establish that the order of essential dependence of Kasami bent functions equals either t ? 2 or t ? 3.     

On second-order nonlinearity and maximum algebraic immunity of some bent functions in \mathcal{PS}^{+}

The rth-order nonlinearity and algebraic immunity of Boolean function play a central role against several known attacks on stream and block ciphers. Since its maximum equals the covering radius of the rth-order Reed-Muller code, it also plays an important role in coding theory. The computation of exact value or high lower bound on the rth-order nonlinearity of a Boolean function is very complected/challenging problem, especially when r>1. In this article, we identify a subclass of \({\mathcal{D}}_{0}\) type bent functions constructed by modifying well known Dillon functions having sharper bound on their second-order nonlinearity. We further, identify a subclass of bent functions in \({\mathcal {PS}}^{+}\) class with maximum possible algebraic immunity. The result is proved by using the well known conjecture proposed by Tu and Deng (Des. Codes Cryptogr. 60(1):1–14, 2011). To obtain rth-order nonlinearity (r>2), that is, whole nonlinearity profile of the constructed bent functions is still an open problem.     

Quadratic functions with prescribed spectra

We study a class of quadratic p-ary functions ${{\mathcal{F}}_{p,n}}$ from ${\mathbb{F}_{p^n}}$ to ${\mathbb{F}_p, p \geq 2}$ , which are well-known to have plateaued Walsh spectrum; i.e., for each ${b \in \mathbb{F}_{p^n}}$ the Walsh transform ${\hat{f}(b)}$ satisfies ${|\hat{f}(b)|^2 \in \{ 0, p^{(n+s)}\}}$ for some integer 0 ≤ s ≤ n ? 1. For various types of integers n, we determine possible values of s, construct ${{\mathcal{F}}_{p,n}}$ with prescribed spectrum, and present enumeration results. Our work generalizes some of the earlier results, in characteristic two, of Khoo et. al. (Des Codes Cryptogr, 38, 279–295, 2006) and Charpin et al. (IEEE Trans Inf Theory 51, 4286–4298, 2005) on semi-bent functions, and of Fitzgerald (Finite Fields Appl 15, 69–81, 2009) on quadratic forms.