On the product of two primitive elements of maximal subfields of a finite field (Q1861511)

Let \(K\) be a finite field and \(K(a),K(a')\) finite extensions of degree \(d,d'\). The author is motivated by `when is \(K(a,a')=K(aa')\) for \(\gcd(d,d')>1\)?'. Let \(q\) be a prime power and \(y=pp'\), \(y'=pp''\), \(z=\text{lcm}(y,y')\), \(K=F_{q^y}\), \(K'=F_{q^{y'}}\), \(L=F_{q^{z}}\). Put \[ A=\{(t,t')\in K\times K'\mid F_q(t)=K, F_q(t')=K',F_q(t+t')\neq L\}. \] The author expresses the number of elements of \(A\) in terms of \(q,p,p',p''\) and gives several applications to counting points in algebraic sets.