Fermat curves over finite fields (Q1119704)

Let \({\mathbb{F}}_ q\) denote the finite field of \(q=p^ f\) elements. Let \(X_ n(a,b)\) be the Fermat curve \(ax^ n+by^ n=z^ n\) defined over \({\mathbb{F}}_ q\), where ab\(\neq 0\), and \(n\geq 2\), \(p\nmid n\). In this paper, an upper bound on the number \(N_ n(a,b,q)\) of \({\mathbb{F}}_ q\)-rational points on \(X_ n(a,b)\) is given. The result improves the upper bound given by \textit{A. Weil} [in ``Courbes algébriques et variétés abéliennes'' (Paris 1971; Zbl 0208.482)]. The improved bound is given as follows. Let s be an integer such that \(1\leq s\leq n-3\) and sn\(\leq p\). Then \(N_ n(a,b,q)\leq (M-1)n(n-3)+M^{- 1}(sn(q+M)-3nA-dB)\) where \(M=\left( \begin{matrix} s+2\\ 2\end{matrix} \right)-1\), \(B=2n-M\), \(A=(1/6)[(n-s-1)s(s-1)(s+4)+s(s-1)(s-2)(s+5)/4]\), and d is the number of \({\mathbb{F}}_ q\)-rational points of \(X_ n(a,b)\) with \(xyz=0.\) Waring's problem for \({\mathbb{F}}_ p\) is also discussed. Let \(\gamma\) (n,p) denote the least positive integer \(\theta\) for which every element in \({\mathbb{F}}_ p\) is expressed as a sum of the form \(x^ n_ 1+x^ n_ 2+...+x^ n_{\theta}\). An upper bound for \(\gamma\) (n,p) is obtained: If \(n\geq 2\) is a proper divisor of p-1 and \(n\geq (p-1)^{4/7}\), then \(\gamma (n,p)\leq 170\cdot n^{7/3}\cdot (p-1)^{-4/3}\cdot \log (p).\) These bounds are obtained by applying results of \textit{K.-O. Stöhr} and \textit{J. F. Voloch} [Proc. Lond. math. Soc., III. Ser. 52, 1-19 (1936; Zbl 0593.14020)].