Composed products and module polynomials over finite fields (Q686146)

Let \(F_ q\) be the finite field of \(q\) elements and \(F_ q[x]\) or \(GF[q,x]\) the domain of polynomials over \(F_ q\). Let \(\Gamma_ q\) denote the algebraic closure of \(F_ q\). Further let \(G\) be a nonempty subset of \(\Gamma_ q\) and \(\diamond\) a binary operation on \(G\) with the properties that \((G,\diamond)\) is an abelian group and the Frobenius map \(\sigma: \Gamma_ q\to \Gamma_ q\) is an automorphism of \((G,\diamond)\). Let \(M_ G[q,x]\) denote the set of all monic polynomials \(f\) of degree \(\geq 1\) with coefficients in \(F_ q\) and whose roots lie in \(G\). The composed product of \(f,g\in M_ G[q,x]\), denoted by \(f\diamond g\), is \[ f\diamond g= \prod_ \alpha \prod_ \beta (x-\alpha \diamond \beta), \] where \(\{\alpha\}\) are the roots of \(f\) and \(\{\beta\}\) the roots of \(g\). Two polynomials \(f,g\in M_ G[q,x]\) are said to be decomposable if and only if there are polynomials \(g,h\in M_ G[q,x]\), each of degree \(\geq 2\) such that \(f=g\diamond h\). Otherwise \(f\) is indecomposable. In previous work [\textit{J. V. Brawley} and \textit{L. Carlitz}, Discrete Math. 65, 115-139 (1987; Zbl 0615.05007)] it was shown that \(f\diamond g\) is irreducible if and only if (i) both \(f\) and \(g\) are irreducible and (ii) \(m\) and \(n\) are relatively prime \((\deg f=m\), \(\deg g=n)\). The special cases of \(G=\Gamma_ q^*\) and the binary operation is ordinary field multiplication, and \(G=\Gamma_ q\) and the operation is field addition were treated in the previous work. The paper proves the uniqueness of decomposition of irreducibles in the general case.