Bent functions and line ovals (Q2401959)

Let \(K = \mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) and \(\mathbb{F}_2\) be finite fields of orders \(2^n\) and \(2\) respectively. Let \(\mathbb{F}_{2}^n\) be an \(\mathbb{F}_2\)-vector space of dimension \(n\). A Boolean function on \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) is a mapping from \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) to the prime field \(\mathbb{F}_2\). If \(f\) is a Boolean function defined on \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\), then the Walsh transform of \(f\) is defined as \[ W_f (b) = \sum_{x \in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}} (-1)^{f(x)+Tr(bx)}, \] where \(\operatorname{Tr}\) is the trace function from \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) to \(\mathbb{F}_2\). Let \(n\) be an even integer, \(F=\mathbb{F}_{2^m}\), \(m=n/2\). A Boolean function \(f\) on \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) is said to be bent if its Walsh transform satisfies \(W_f (b) = \pm 2^{n/2}\) for all \(b\in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}\). Two bent functions \(f,g\) are said to be extended-affine equivalent (EAequivalent) if there exist an affine permutation \(L\) of \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) and an affine function \(\ell : \mathbb{F}_{2^n} \to \mathbb{F}_2\) such that \(g(x) = (f \circ L)(x) +\ell(x)\). In this paper, the author studies bent functions which are linear on elements of spreads and their connections with ovals and line ovals, giving descriptions of their dual bent functions. Concerning the connection with line ovals, the author proves that the function \(f\) defined by \(f(\lambda u) = \operatorname{Tr}_{\mathbb{F}_{2^m}/\mathbb{F}_2}(\lambda g(u))\), \(\lambda \in F\), for some function \(g : S \to F\), where \(S\) is the multiplicative group of the \((q+1)\)st roots of unity in \(K\), is bent if and only if the set \[ \mathcal{O} = \{\{x\in K : \operatorname{Tr}_{\mathbb{F}_{2^n}/\mathbb{F}_{2^m}}(ux)=g(u)\} : u\in S\} \] is a line oval in \(K\), that is a set of \(2^m+1\) lines no three of which are concurrent. Finally, he also points out that bent functions which are linear on elements of inequivalent spreads can be EAequivalent.