On permutations induced by tame automorphisms over finite fields (Q1752952)

Let \(k={\mathbb F}_q\) be a finite field. Every polynomial automorphism \(F=(f_1,\ldots,f_n):k^n\to k^n\) induces a permutation of the elements of \(k^n\), i.e., there is a homomorphism from the group of tame automorphisms \(TA_n(k)\) to the symmetric group \(\text{Sym}(k^n)\). By a result in [\textit{S. Maubach}, Serdica Math. J. 27, No. 4, 343--350 (2001; Zbl 0996.14032)] for \(n\geq 2\) the image of \(TA_n(k)\) coincides with \(\text{Sym}(k^n)\) when \(q\) is odd or \(q=2\). If \(q=2^m\) then \(TA_n(k)\) maps on the alternating group \(\text{Alt}(k^n)\). The main result of the paper under review gives an answer to the natural problem how to determine the sign of the image in \(\text{Sym}(k^n)\) of a tame automorphism. For elementary automorphisms the answer is that if \(q>2\) then the sign is even. In the case \(q=2\) the sign depends on the number of monomials of special kind which appear in the definition of the automorphism. For affine automorphisms the result if more complicated but also gives an explicit way to determine the sign. As a consequence, if we know a decomposition of the tame automorphism into a finite number of affine and elementary automorphisms, then we can determine the sign of the induced permutation.