A character sum evaluation and Gaussian hypergeometric series (Q1073076)

For \(p\) an odd prime, the finite field with \(p\) elements is denoted by \(\text{GF}(p)\). The quadratic residue character on \(\text{GF}(p)\) is given by \(\Phi (x)=1\), if \(0\neq x\in \text{GF}(p)\) is a square, \(\Phi (x)=-1\), if \(0\neq x\in \text{GF}(p)\) is not a square, \(\Phi (x)=0\), if \(x=0.\) In this beautiful paper, the authors use the idea of a Gaussian hypergeometric series to prove the following conjecture of Evans [\textit{R. J. Evans}, \textit{J. R. Pulham} and \textit{J. Sheehan}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 30, 364--371 (1981; Zbl 0475.05049)]: \[ \sum_{x,y\in \text{GF}(p)}\Phi (1+x)\, \Phi (1+y)\, \Phi (x)\, \Phi (y)\, \Phi (x+y)= \begin{cases} \Phi (2)(4c^ 2-p),\quad &\text{if }p\equiv 1\text{ or } 3 \pmod 8, \\ -p \Phi (2),\quad&\text{if }p\equiv 5 \text{ or }7 \pmod 8, \end{cases} \] where \(p=c^ 2 + 2d^ 2\) uniquely for \(p\equiv 1\) or \(3\pmod 8\). For multiplicative characters \(A\), \(B\), \(C\), \(D\), and \(E\) of \(\text{GF}(p)\) and \(x\in \text{GF}(p)\), the authors define the Gaussian hypergeometric series \({}_ 3F_ 2\left(\begin{matrix} A,B,C\\ D,E\end{matrix}| x\right)\) by \[ _ 3F_ 2 \left(\begin{matrix} A,B,C\\ D,E\end{matrix}| x\right) = (p/(p- 1))\sum_{\chi} \binom{A\chi}\chi \binom{B\chi}{D\chi} \binom{C\chi}{E\chi} \chi (x), \] where the sum is taken over all multiplicative characters \(\chi\) of \(\text{GF}(p)\) and \(\binom{A\chi}\chi\), \(\binom{B\chi}{D\chi}\), \(\binom{C\chi}{E\chi}\) are generalized binomial coefficients. They prove, for \(0\neq t\in \text{GF}(p)\), that \[ \sum_{x,y\in \text{GF}(p)} A(1+x) B(1+y) C(x+ty) D(x) E(y) = p^2 BCDE(-1) {}_3F_2 \left(\begin{matrix} \overline C,\;\overline{ACD},\;E \\ \overline{CD},\;BE \end{matrix}|-t\right), \] and so Evans' conjecture is equivalent to an evaluation of \[ {}_3 F_2 \left(\begin{matrix} \Phi,\;\Phi,\;\Phi\\ \varepsilon,\;\varepsilon \end{matrix} |-1\right), \] where \(\varepsilon\) denotes the trivial multiplicative character. The value of this quantity follows by taking \(u=\frac12\) in the formula \[ \Phi ((1-u)/u) {}_3F_2 \left(\begin{matrix} \Phi,\;\Phi,\;\Phi \\ \varepsilon,\;\varepsilon \end{matrix} |\frac u{u-1}\right) = \Phi (u) f(u)^2 + \frac{2\Phi(-1)}{p} f(u) - \frac{p-1}{p^2}\Phi (u) + \frac{p-1}{p^ 2}\delta (1-u), \] where \(\delta (x)=0\), if \(0\neq x\in \text{GF}(p)\), or \(=1\), if \(x=0\), and \[ f(x) = \frac{p}{p-1} \sum_{\chi} \binom{\Phi\chi^2}\chi \binom{\Phi\chi}\chi \chi \left(\frac x4 \right). \] This formula is the Gaussian analogue of a formula involving the classical hypergeometric series \[ {}_3F_2 \left(\begin{matrix} 1/2,\;1/2,\;1/2 \\ 1,\;1\end{matrix} | x\right) \text{ and } {}_2F_1 \left(\begin{matrix} 1/4,\;3/4 \\ 1\end{matrix} | \frac x{x-1}\right). \] The evaluation \[ {}_3F_2 \left(\begin{matrix} \Phi,\;\Phi,\;\Phi \\ \varepsilon,\;\varepsilon \end{matrix} |-1 \right) = \Phi(2)A^2 + 2\Phi(-1)Ap^p{-1} - \Phi (2)(p-1)p^{-2} \] follows, where \(A=f(\,)\). It is then shown by elementary considerations that \[ A = (1/p) \sum_{y\in \text{GF}(p)} \Phi(1-y) \Phi(1-2y^ 2) - \Phi(-2)/p, \] and since it is known that \[ \sum_{y\in \text{GF}(p)} \Phi(1-y) \Phi(1-2y^ 2) = \begin{cases} 0,\quad &\text{if }p\equiv 5\text{ or }7\pmod 8,\\ \pm2c,\quad &\text{if }p\equiv 1\text{ or }3\pmod 8, \end{cases} \] Evans' conjecture is proved. The authors are to be congratulated on their new technique for character sum evaluation. Hopefully their method will lead to the evaluation of other character sums.