Combinatorial polarization, code loops, and codes of high level (Q1774772)

The combinatorial degree of a polynomial \(f: V\to F,\) where \(V\) is a finite dimensional vectorspace over a field \(F\) was introduced by \textit{H. N. Ward} [Discrete Math. 26, 185--197 (1979; Zbl 0411.05008)] and it was studied in the case when the field is of characteristic \(0\). In this paper the author proves that the combinatorial degree of \(f\) for the finite field \(F_{p^m},\) equals to the largest value of the sum \(p\)-weights of the exponents for the monomials appearing in the polynomial~\(f\). \textit{O. Chein} and \textit{E. G. Goodaire} [J. Algebra 130, No. 2, 369--384 (1990; Zbl 0695.20040)] characterized the class of loops called code loops (by Griess) as finite Moufang loops having at most two squares. The author also gave a generalization of these code loops to the binary codes of arbitrary level and prescribed Hamming weights of intersections of codewords.