A structure theorem for finite fields

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Abstract: We present a new structure theorem for finite fields of odd order that relates multiplicative and additive structure in an interesting way. This theorem has several applications, including an improved understanding of Dickson and Chebyshev polynomials and some formulas with a number-theoretic flavor. This paper is an abridged version of two math arXiv articles by the author [arXiv:1707.06870, arXiv:1707.06877].


Let \(\mathbb F_q\) be the finite field with \(q\) elements, where \(q\) is odd. Let \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q\) be the algebraic closure of \(\mathbb F_q\) and let \(\mathbb F_q^\times\) and \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) be the multiplicative groups of \(\mathbb F_q\) and \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q\), respectively. \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) is partitioned into {\em orbits}, where the orbit of \(v\in\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) is \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm v,\pm v^{-1}\}\). If \(v\in\{\pm 1\}\), then \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm 1\}\); if \(v\in\{\pm i\}\), where \(i^2=-1\), then \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm i\}\); if \(v\in \overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\setminus\{\pm 1,\pm i\}\), then \(|\mathcal O_v|=4\). For any integer \(k>0\) with \(\text{gcd}(k,q)=1\), let \(\mu_k=\{a\in\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times:a^k=1\}\). Then \(\mu_{2(q-1)}\cup\mu_{2(q+1)}\) is a union of orbits. The main theorem (Theorem~1.7) of the paper states that \begin{itemize} \item \(\mathcal O_v\mapsto (v+v^{-1})^2/4\) is a bijection from the set of orbits in \(\mu_{2(q-1)}\cup\mu_{2(q+1)}\) to \(\mathbb F_q\); \item the inverse of the above map is \(\tau\mapsto\mathcal O_v\), where \(v=\sqrt\tau+\sqrt{\tau-1}\); in particular, \(1\mapsto \mathcal O_1=\{\pm 1\}\) and \(0\mapsto\mathcal O_i=\{\pm i\}\); \item if \(\tau\in\mathbb F_q\setminus\{0,1\}\) (equivalently, \(v^4\ne 1\)), then for \(A,B\in\{\pm 1\}\), \[ \Bigl(\frac\tau q\Bigr)=A\ \text{and}\ \Bigl(\frac{\tau-1} q\Bigr)=B\ \text{ if and only if } \ v^{q-AB}=A, \] where \((\frac\tau q)\) is the Legendre symbol. \end{itemize} \noindent As applications of this theorem, the author demonstrates factorizations of certain Dickson polynomials over \(\mathbb F_q\) and several Wilson-like theorems in \(\mathbb F_q\). For example, it is shown that for \(m=(q-(-1)^{(q-1)/2})/4\), \[ D_m(x)=\prod\Bigl\{x-b: b\in\mathbb F_q,\ \Bigl(\frac{2-b}q\Bigr)=\Bigl(\frac{2+b}q\Bigr)=-1\Bigr\}, \] where \(D_m(x)\) is the {\em Dickson polynomial} of degree \(m\) over \(\mathbb F_q\). For another example, it is shown that \[ \prod\Bigl\{a\in\mathbb F_q^\times: \Bigl(\frac{1-a}q\Bigr)=\Bigl(\frac{a+3}q\Bigr)=-1\Bigr\} = \begin{cases} 2&\text{if}\ q\equiv \pm1\pmod{12},\cr -1&\text{otherwise}. \end{cases} \]











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