Classification of permutation polynomials of the form \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) of \(\mathbb{F}_{q^2}\) where \(g(x)=x^3+bx+c\) and \(b, c \in\mathbb{F}_q^*\) (Q2153746)

Let \(\mathbb F_q\) denote the finite field with \(q\) elements and let \(g(x)=x^3+bx+c\), where \(b,c\in\mathbb F_q^*\). The main result of the paper is the determination of the necessary and sufficient conditions for \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) to be a permutation polynomial (PP) of \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\). The approach is standard. By a well known folklore, \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) is a PP of \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\) if and only if \(\gcd(3,q-1)=1\), \(g\) has no root in \(U_{q+1}:=\{a\in\mathbb F_{q^2}:a^{q+1}=1\}\), and \(f(x):=(cx^3+bx^2+1)/(x^3+bx+c)\) permutes \(U_{q+1}\). At first, necessary and sufficient conditions for \(f\) to have a root in \(U_{q+1}\) are determined (Proposition~1). Next, let \(C_f\) be the numerator of \((f(x)-f(y))/(x-y)\). Then \(f\) permutes \(U_{q+1}\) if and only if \(C_f\) has no roots \((x,y)\in U_{q+1}^2\) with \(x\ne y\). Whether the latter condition is satisfied depends very much on the factorization of \(C_f\) over \(\overline{\mathbb F}_q\) (the algebraic closure of \(\mathbb F_q\)). There is a rational function \(F(x)=(\phi^{-1}\circ f\circ \phi)(x)\), where \(\phi(x)\) is a certain rational function of degree one over \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\), such that \(f\) permutes \(U_{q+1}\) if and only if \(F\) permutes \(\mathbb F_q\cup\{\infty\}\). Let \(\chi_F\) be the numerator of \((F(x)-F(y))/(x-y)\). If \(C_f\) is absolutely irreducible, then so is \(\chi_F\), in which case, the Hasse-Weil bound applies. The conclusions of the paper are as follows: \begin{itemize} \item (Theorem~4) If \(q=2^{2k+1}\) and \(C_f\) is not absolutely irreducible, then \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) is a PP of \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\) if and only if one of the following conditions holds: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] \(b=1+c^2\) and \(\mathrm{Tr}(1/c)=0\). \item[(ii)] \(b=1\) and \(\mathrm{Tr}(1/c)=1\). \end{itemize} \item (Theorem~8) If \(q\) is odd such that \(\gcd(3,q-1)=1\) and \(C_f\) is not absolutely irreducible, then \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) is a PP of \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\) if and only if one of the following conditions holds: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] \(b=1-c^2\) and \(c^2-4\) is a nonzero square in \(\mathbb F_q\). \item[(ii)] \(\mathrm{char}\,\mathbb F_q\ne 3\), \(b=-3\) and and \((4-c^2)/3\) is a nonzero square in \(\mathbb F_q\). \end{itemize} \item (Theorem~9) If \(C_f\) is absolutely irreducible, then \(x^3g(x^{q-1})\) is not a PP of \(\mathbb F_{q^2}\). \end{itemize} The above results are compared with some similar results in a previous paper by \textit{D. Bartoli} and \textit{L. Quoos} [Des. Codes Cryptography 86, No. 8, 1589--1599 (2018; Zbl 1402.11144)]. It is pointed out that [loc. cit., Theorem~3.4 (ii)] is empty and for many primes, [loc. cit., Theorem~3.6 (ii)] is also empty. (The reviewer's note: In fact, [loc. cit., Theorem~3.6 (ii)] is empty since \((\frac{-3}p)=-1\) for \(p\equiv 2\pmod 3\) by the quadratic reciprocity.)