Classification of \(p\)-ary self dual quadratic bent functions, \(p\) odd (Q2438015): Difference between revisions

It is well known (see e.g. \textit{T. Helleseth} and \textit{A. Kholosha} [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 52, No. 5, 2018--2032 (2006; Zbl 1177.94149)]) that every quadratic bent function \(f:\mathbb{F}_p^n \rightarrow \mathbb{F}_p\) is weakly regular, i.e. for all \(b\in\mathbb{F}_p^n\) \[ \widehat{f}(b) = \sum_{x\in\mathbb{F}_p^n}\omega^{f(x)+x\cdot b} = \gamma p^{n/2}\omega^{\tilde{f}(b)} \] where \(x\cdot b\) is the dot product of \(x\) and \(b\), \(\omega\) is a complex primitive \(p\)th root of unity, e.g. \(\omega = e^{2\pi i/p}\), and \(\gamma \in\{1,-1,i,-i\}\) is fixed. The function \(\tilde{f}:\mathbb{F}_p^n\rightarrow\mathbb{F}_p\) is then also a (quadratic) weakly regular bent function. The author calls a bent function \(f\) self dual if \(\tilde{f} = uf\) for some \(1\leq u\leq p-1\) (as obvious, \(u\) depends on the choice of \(\omega\)). A quadratic function \(f:\mathbb{F}_p^n\rightarrow\mathbb{F}_p\), \(p\) odd, is of the form \(f(x) = \frac{1}{2}xAx^T + a\cdot x\) for a unique symmetric \(n\times n\) matrix \(A\) and \(a \in \mathbb{F}_p^n\), and \(f\) is bent if and only if \(A\) is invertible. The author shows that \(f\) is self dual if and only if \(A^2 = \frac{1}{u}I\) and \((A-I)a = 0\). Using this result and the fact that self-duality is invariant under orthogonal coordinate transformations, the author completely classifies all self dual quadratic bent functions from \(\mathbb{F}_p^n\) to \(\mathbb{F}_p\) for odd primes \(p\) under the action of the orthogonal group \(O(n,\mathbb F_p)\). The sizes of all \(O(n,\mathbb F_p)\)-orbits of self dual quadratic bent functions are determined explicitly. For \(p=2\) the analogous results have been presented in the author's earlier paper [Des. Codes Cryptography 63, No. 2, 183--198 (2012; Zbl 1264.06021)].