Divisibility properties and new bounds for cyclic codes and exponential sums in one and several variables (Q1320443)

Using Serre's sharp estimates for the number of rational points on an algebraic curve over a finite field and divisibility properties for exponential sums the authors derive new bounds for exponential sums in one and several variables. This leads to an improvement of previous bounds for the minimum distance of the duals of BCH codes. Moreover the divisibility properties imply the existence of gaps in the weight distribution of certain cyclic codes.