Hermite character sums (Q1082374)

Let \(N\) be a multiplicative character on the finite field \(GF(q)\), where \(q\) is a power of an odd prime \(p\). For \(x\in GF(q)\), \(Tr(x)\) denotes the trace of \(x\) from \(GF(q)\) to \(GF(p)\), and \(\zeta^ x\) denotes \(\exp(2\pi i Tr(x)/p)\). Define \(\bar N\) by \(N\bar N=1\). As an analogue over finite fields of Hermite polynomials \(H_ n(x)\), which have the integral representations \[ H_ n(x)= \frac{1}{\Gamma(-n)} \int^{\infty}_{0}e^{-u^ 2-2ux} u^{-n} \frac{du}{u}, \] the author defines the Hermite character sums \[ H_ N(x)=\frac{1}{G(\bar N)}\sum_{u}\bar N(u) \zeta^{u^ 2+2ux} \] where the summation is over all \(u\in GF(q)\), and \(G(N)\) is the Gauss sum \(G(N)=\sum_{x}N(x) \zeta^ x\). The finite field analogues of thirty-six classical formulas for Hermite polynomials are proved in the paper.