POLYNOMIALS WITH SMALL VALUE SET OVER FINITE FIELDS.

Abstract

Let K(q) be the finite field with q elements and characteristic p. Let f(x) be a monic polynomial of degree d with coefficients in K(q). Let C(f) denote the number of distinct values of f(x) as x ranges over K(q). It is easy to show that C(f) ≤ [|(q - 1)/d|] + 1. Now, there is a characterization of polynomials of degree d < √q for which C(f) = [|(q - 1)/d|] +1. The main object of this work is to give a characterization for polynomials of degree d < ⁴√q for which C(f) < 2q/d. Using two well known theorems: Hurwitz genus formula and Andre Weil's theorem, the Riemann Hypothesis for Algebraic Function Fields, it is shown that if d < ⁴√q and C(f) < 2q/d then f(x) - f(y) factors into at least d/2 absolutely irreducible factors and f(x) has one of the following forms: (UNFORMATTED TABLE FOLLOWS) f(x - λ) = D(d,a)(x) + c, d|(q² - 1), f(x - λ) = D(r,a)(∙ ∙ ∙ ((x²+b₁)²+b₂)²+ ∙ ∙ ∙ +b(m)), d|(q² - 1), d=2ᵐ∙r, and (2,r) = 1 f(x - λ) = (x² + a)ᵈ/² + b, d/2|(q - 1), f(x - λ) = (∙ ∙ ∙((x²+b₁)²+b₂)² + ∙ ∙ ∙ +b(m))ʳ+c, d|(q - 1), d=2ᵐ∙r, f(x - λ) = xᵈ + a, d|(q - 1), f(x - λ) = x(x³ + ax + b) + c, f(x - λ) = x(x³ + ax + b) (x² + a) + e, f(x - λ) = D₃,ₐ(x² + c), c² ≠ 4a, f(x - λ) = (x³ + a)ⁱ + b, i = 1, 2, 3, or 4, f(x - λ) = x³(x³ + a)³ +b, f(x - λ) = x⁴(x⁴ + a)² +b or f(x - λ) = (x⁴ + a) ⁱ + b, i = 1,2 or 3, where D(d,a)(x) denotes the Dickson’s polynomial of degree d. Finally to show other polynomials with small value set, the following equation is obtained C((fᵐ + b)ⁿ) = αq/d + O(√q) where α = (1 – (1 – 1/m)ⁿ)m and the constant implied in O(√q) is independent of q.