On a conjecture of Beard, O'Connell and West concerning perfect polynomials (Q2469485)

A polynomial over a finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\) is called perfect if it is the sum of all its monic divisors. According to a conjecture of \textit{E. F. Canaday} [Duke Math. J. 8, 721--737 (1941; Zbl 0061.06605)], there is no perfect polynomial over \(\mathbb{F}_2\) without a root in \(\mathbb{F}_2\). The generalization for an arbitrary finite field due to \textit{J. T. B. Beard jun.}, \textit{J. R. O'Connell jun.} and \textit{K. I. West} [Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei, VIII. Ser., Rend., Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Nat. 62, 283--291 (1977; Zbl 0404.12014)] was disproved by counterexamples for \(q=4,\;11\) and \(17\). In this paper, the authors show that the general conjecture fails for every non-prime number \(q\). Furthermore, they extend \textit{M. L. Link's} construction [Libertas Math. 17, 111--124 (1997; Zbl 0890.11033)] to a counterexample for all primes \(q\) which are congruent to 11 or 17 modulo 24. Lastly, assuming a hypothesis on the distribution of prime polynomials (a polynomial analogue of Schinzel's Hypothesis H) it is proved: if there is a perfect polynomial over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) without roots in \(\mathbb{F}_q\), then there are infinitely many such polynomials.