The geometry of the third moment of exponential sums (Q1026982)

In the paper is given a geometric interpretation and deduced explicit formulas for two types of exponential sums over the finite fields \({\mathbb F}_q\), by presenting an algebraic surface the number of \({\mathbb F}_q\)-rational points of which is explicitly related to such a sum. For \(p \not= 2,3\) a prime, \(\varphi\) a nontrivial additive character of \({\mathbb F}_q\), and a couple \((\alpha,\beta)\) of integers s.t. \(\alpha - 1 = 3(\beta - 1)\), let \(S(a^{\alpha},a^{\beta};q) = \sum_{x \in {\mathbb F}_q} \varphi(a^{\alpha}x^3 + a^{\beta}x)\). The authors study the third moment (or the third Birch sum) \(B_3(q) = \sum_{a \in {\mathbb F}_q} S(a^{\alpha},a^{\beta};q)\). By Theorem 1.1, the first main result of the paper, the quantity \(B(q)/q\) is precisely the number of \({\mathbb F}_q\)-rational points of an explicitly described affine cubic surface. Further, the approach used in the proof of this theorem is used to evaluate other types of sums, especially the third moment of Kloosterman sums of type \(K(\lambda^2;q)\). By Theorem 1.2, the second main result of the paper, for \(p \not=2,3\) the third moment \(\sigma_3(q) = \sum_{\lambda \in {\mathbb F}_q} K(\lambda^2;q)^3\) is explicitly related to the number of \({\mathbb F}_q\)-rational points of a Kummer surface \(Km(E \times E)\). This answers a question of \textit{D. H. Lehmer} and \textit{E. Lehmer} since 1960, see [Acta Arith. 6, 15--22 (1960; Zbl 0092.04701)].