Sum-product estimates applied to Waring's problem over finite fields (Q2898392)

Let \(g(k,q)\) be the smallest positive integer \(g\) such that every sum of \(k\)-th powers in the finite field with \(q\) elements and characteristic \(p\), is a sum of \(g\) \(k\)-th powers. Assume there are \(a(k)\) distinct nonzero \(k\)-th powers. Assuming \(g(k,q) < \infty\) the authors prove \(g(k,q)^{ln(a(k))} \leq 633 (2k)^{ln(4)}\) and \(v(k,q)^{ln(a(k))} \leq \frac{40}{3} k^{ln(4)}\) for the version in which we accept signs \(\pm\) in the sum. Previous known results of the same kind assumed \(q=p\) or \(q=p^2.\)