A structure theorem for finite fields (Q1994946)

Let \(\mathbb F_q\) be the finite field with \(q\) elements, where \(q\) is odd. Let \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q\) be the algebraic closure of \(\mathbb F_q\) and let \(\mathbb F_q^\times\) and \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) be the multiplicative groups of \(\mathbb F_q\) and \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q\), respectively. \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) is partitioned into {\em orbits}, where the orbit of \(v\in\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\) is \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm v,\pm v^{-1}\}\). If \(v\in\{\pm 1\}\), then \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm 1\}\); if \(v\in\{\pm i\}\), where \(i^2=-1\), then \(\mathcal O_v=\{\pm i\}\); if \(v\in \overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times\setminus\{\pm 1,\pm i\}\), then \(|\mathcal O_v|=4\). For any integer \(k>0\) with \(\text{gcd}(k,q)=1\), let \(\mu_k=\{a\in\overline{\mathbb F}_q^\times:a^k=1\}\). Then \(\mu_{2(q-1)}\cup\mu_{2(q+1)}\) is a union of orbits. The main theorem (Theorem~1.7) of the paper states that \begin{itemize} \item \(\mathcal O_v\mapsto (v+v^{-1})^2/4\) is a bijection from the set of orbits in \(\mu_{2(q-1)}\cup\mu_{2(q+1)}\) to \(\mathbb F_q\); \item the inverse of the above map is \(\tau\mapsto\mathcal O_v\), where \(v=\sqrt\tau+\sqrt{\tau-1}\); in particular, \(1\mapsto \mathcal O_1=\{\pm 1\}\) and \(0\mapsto\mathcal O_i=\{\pm i\}\); \item if \(\tau\in\mathbb F_q\setminus\{0,1\}\) (equivalently, \(v^4\ne 1\)), then for \(A,B\in\{\pm 1\}\), \[ \Bigl(\frac\tau q\Bigr)=A\ \text{and}\ \Bigl(\frac{\tau-1} q\Bigr)=B\ \text{ if and only if } \ v^{q-AB}=A, \] where \((\frac\tau q)\) is the Legendre symbol. \end{itemize} \noindent As applications of this theorem, the author demonstrates factorizations of certain Dickson polynomials over \(\mathbb F_q\) and several Wilson-like theorems in \(\mathbb F_q\). For example, it is shown that for \(m=(q-(-1)^{(q-1)/2})/4\), \[ D_m(x)=\prod\Bigl\{x-b: b\in\mathbb F_q,\ \Bigl(\frac{2-b}q\Bigr)=\Bigl(\frac{2+b}q\Bigr)=-1\Bigr\}, \] where \(D_m(x)\) is the {\em Dickson polynomial} of degree \(m\) over \(\mathbb F_q\). For another example, it is shown that \[ \prod\Bigl\{a\in\mathbb F_q^\times: \Bigl(\frac{1-a}q\Bigr)=\Bigl(\frac{a+3}q\Bigr)=-1\Bigr\} = \begin{cases} 2&\text{if}\ q\equiv \pm1\pmod{12},\cr -1&\text{otherwise}. \end{cases} \]