Trace-orthogonal normal bases (Q1314337)

For \(q\) a prime power and \(n\geq 2\) an integer, let \(GF(q^ n)\) denote the finite field of order \(q^ n\) considered as a vector space of dimension \(n\) over \(GF(q)\). For \(\alpha\in GF(q^ n)\), a basis of the form \((\alpha, \alpha^ q,\cdots, \alpha^{q^{n-1}})\) is called a normal basis of \(GF(q^ n)\) over \(GF(q)\). Given a basis \(B= (\alpha_ 0,\cdots, \alpha_{n-1})\) the unique dual basis \(C=(\gamma_ 0, \cdots, \gamma_{n-1})\) is determined by \(\text{Tr} (\alpha_ i, \gamma_ j)= \delta_{ij}\) for \(i,j=0,1, \cdots, n-1\), where Tr denotes the trace function from \(GF(q^ n)\) to \(GF(q)\) defined by \(\text{Tr}(\beta)= \beta+ \beta^ q+\cdots+ \beta^{q^{n-1}}\). The basis \(B\) is said to be trace-orthogonal if \(\text{Tr}(\alpha_ i, \alpha_ j)=0\) whenever \(i\neq j\). When \(q=2\) note that a basis \(B\) is trace-orthogonal if and only if \(B\) is self-dual. A number of important results are obtained in this paper concerning trace-orthogonal bases of finite fields. These results include the fact that any trace-orthogonal basis is equivalent (differs only by multiplication by a nonzero element of the base field \(GF(q)\)) to a self- dual basis. Several characterizations of trace-orthogonal normal bases are given. Also determined are all trace-orthogonal optimal normal bases. A product construction is given for constructing a trace-orthogonal basis of \(GF(q^{mn})\) from such bases in the fields \(GF(q^ m)\) and \(GF(q^ n)\). In particular, if \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) generate normal bases \(A\) and \(B\) of \(GF(q^ m)\) and \(GF(q^ n)\) over \(GF(q)\) where \(m\) and \(n\) are relatively prime, then \(\alpha\beta\) generates a normal basis of \(GF(q^{mn})\) over \(GF(q)\). Moreover if both \(A\) and \(B\) are trace- orthogonal so is the basis generated by \(\alpha\beta\). Finally the complexity of the trace-orthogonal normal product basis is the product of the complexities(!) of each component. This is an excellent paper describing a number of very useful and important results concerning trace-orthogonal normal bases of finite fields.