Some enumeration results on trace forms of low radical over finite fields of characteristic two (Q2123299)

Let \(F=\mathbb F_2\) and \(K=\mathbb F_{2^k}\). The author considers quadratic forms \(Q_R^K:K\rightarrow F\) given as trace forms \(Q_R^K=tr_F^K(xR(x))\), where \(tr_F^K\) is the trace function from \(K\) to \(F\), and \(R(x)=\sum_{i=0}^m a_ix^{2^i}\), with \(a_i\in\{0,1\}\). Let \(r(Q_R^K)\) denote the dimension of the radical of \(Q_R^K\). For certain values of \(k\) and small values of \(r\), the author enumerates the polynomials \(R\) with degree at most \(2^{k-1}\) for which \(r(Q_R^K)=r\). Explicit formulas are obtained for the cases when \(k=2^{\ell}\) and \(r\) is arbitrary; \(k=p,p^2\text{ or }pq\) and \(r=1\), where \(p\) and \(q\) are distinct odd primes; and \(k=2p\text{ or }2p^2\) and \(r=2\). The possible pairs of invariants \(r(Q_R^K)\) and \(\Lambda(Q_R^K)\in \{-1,0,1\}\) are also computed for certain trace forms, and the results are used to construct some new maximal Artin-Schreier curves with co-dimension 4 and 6 when the degree of extension is divisible by 8 but not by 16. This extends a result of \textit{R. W. Fitzgerald}, who constructed such curves with co-dimension 2 and 4 when \(k\) is not divisible by 8 [Finite Fields Appl. 15, 69--81 (2009; Zbl 1234.11038)].