On \(\mathbb{Z}_4\)-linear Goethals codes and Kloosterman sums (Q1963151)

Let \(F\) be the Galois field of order \(n= 2^m\). For each \(a\in F^*= F\setminus \{0\}\), the Kloosterman sum \(K(a)\) is defined as \[ K(a)= \sum_{x\in F^*} (-1)^{\text{Tr} (ax+1/x)}, \] where Tr is the trace-function of \(F\) over \(\text{GF}(2)\). The authors connect the \(\mathbb{Z}_4\)-linear Goethals codes \(G\) with Kloosterman sums. The number of words of weight 4 in certain cosets of \(G\) of weight 4 is expressed in Kloosterman sums. This expression implies that \(K(a)\) depends on \(\text{Tr}(a)\); it is shown that \(K(a)\equiv 3\pmod 8\) if \(\text{Tr}(a)= 1\) and \(K(a)\equiv 7\pmod 8\) if \(\text{Tr}(a)= 0\). Inspired by the study of other cosets of \(G\), the authors study \(K(a^4+ a^3)\). It is shown that for odd \(m\), \(K(a^4+ a^3)\equiv 3\pmod {12}\) for all \(a\in F^*\). If \(m\) is even, then \(K(a^4+ a^3)\equiv 67\pmod{12}\) if \(\text{Tr}(a)= 0\), and \(K(a^4+ a^3)\equiv 11\pmod{12}\) if \(\text{Tr}(a)= 1\). The paper ends with giving connections between Kloosterman sums and Melas codes, Goppa codes, and \(m\)-sequences.