The explicit construction of irreducible polynomials over finite fields (Q1200310)

Let \(GF(q)\) denote the finite field of order \(q.\) Given a polynomial \(f(x)\) of degree \(n\) over \(GF(q),\) the reciprocal operator \(Q\) associates with \(f\) the reciprocal polynomial \(f^ Q\) defined by \(f^ Q(x)=x^ nf(x+x^{-1}).\) Generalizing results of \textit{D. Wiedemann} [Fibonacci Q. 26, 290-295 (1988; Zbl 0658.12012)]\ and \textit{H. Meyn} [Appl. Algebra Eng. Commun. Comput. 1, No. 1, 43-53 (1990; Zbl 0724.11062)]the author proves: Let \(f_ 0(x)\) be a monic polynomial of degree \(n\geq 1\) over \(GF(2)\) whose coefficients of \(x^{n-1}\) and of \(x\) are both \(1.\) For each \(m \geq 1\) define \(f_ m \) by \(f_ m(x)={{f_{m-1}}^ Q}(x).\) Then for each \(m, f_ m\) is an irreducible polynomial over \(GF(2)\) of degree \(n2^ m\) and order a divisor of \(2^{n2^{m-1}} +1.\) For any field \(F\) of characteristic not \(2,\) the reciprocal operator \(Q\) is replaced by the operator \(R\) which associates with a monic \(f\) of degree \(n\) over \(F\) the monic reciprocal polynomial \(f^ R\) defined by \(f^ R(x)=(2x)^ nf(2^{-1}(x+x^{-1}))=2^ nf^ Q(2^{- 1}x).\) Analogous to the above result for \(q=2,\) the author proves: Let \(f_ 0(x)\) be a monic irreducible polynomial of degree \(n \geq1\) over \(GF(q), q\) odd, where \(n\) is even if \(q\equiv 3 \)(mod 4). Suppose also that \(f_ 0(1)f_ 0(-1)\) is a non-square in \(GF(q).\) For each \(m\geq1\) define \(f_ m\) by \(f_ m(x)={{f_{m-1}}^ R}(x).\) Then for each \(m,\) \(f_ m\) is an irreducible polynomial over \(GF(q)\) of degree \(n2^ m\) and order a divisor of \(q^{n2^{m-1}}+1.\) Applications are then presented to the explicit construction of iterated presentations of several infinite algebraic extensions of a finite field, see \textit{J. V. Brawley} and \textit{G. E. Schnibben} [Infinite algebraic extensions of finite fields (Contemp. Math. 95) (1989; Zbl 0674.12009)]\ for a study of iterated presentations.