Weights of twisted exponential sums (Q1024208)

Let \(k\) be a finite field of characteristic \(p\). Let \(\chi_i : k^* \rightarrow \mathbb{C}^*\) be non-trivial multiplicative characters, \(\psi : k \rightarrow \mathbb{C}^*\) be a non-trivial additive character, and \(f_i(X_1, \dots, X_n), f(X_1, \dots, X_n) \in k[X_1, X_1^{-1}, \dots, X_n, X_n^{-1}]\) be Laurent polynomials. This paper studies character sums of the form \[ \sum_{x_i \in k} \chi_1(f_1(x_1, \dots, x_n)) \dots \chi_m(f_m(x_1, \dots, x_n)) \psi(f(x_1, \dots, x_n)). \] Using an argument in \textit{A. Adolphson} and \textit{S. Sperber} [Algebra Number Theory 3, No. 8, 881--906 (2009; Zbl 1207.11082)], it becomes sufficient to study character sums of the form \[ S(f) = \sum_{x_i \in k^*} \chi_1(x_1) \dots \chi_n(x_n) \psi(f(x_1,\dots,x_n)). \] Associated to \(\psi\) is the Artin-Schreier sheaf \(\mathcal{L}_\psi\) on \(\mathbb{A}^1_k\), and to \(\chi = \chi_1 \dots \chi_n\), the Kummer sheaf \(\mathcal{K}_\chi\) on the \(n\)-dimensional torus \(\mathbb{T}^n_k\). By Grothendieck's trace formula, the character sum \(S(f)\) is then given by \[ S(f) = \sum_i (-1)^i \text{Tr}(\text{F}, H_c^i(\mathbb{T}^n_k, \mathcal{K}_\chi \otimes f^* \mathcal{L}_\psi)), \] where \(\text{F}\) is the (geometric) Frobenius. Under certain non-degeneracy conditions on \(f\), the author calculates the weights of \(H^i_c(\mathbb{T}^n_k, \mathcal{K}_\chi \otimes f^* \mathcal{L}_\psi)\) in terms of the Newton polyhedron of \(f\) at \(\infty\), which can be used to estimate \(S(f)\). This generalizes the results in Theorem 1.8 of \textit{J. Denef} and \textit{F. Loeser} [Invent. Math. 106, No. 2, 275--294 (1991; Zbl 0763.14025)] from \(\chi\) being the trivial character to general \(\chi\).