Gauss sums over finite fields of order $2^n$ (Q5569236)

Let \(F = \mathrm{GF}(q)\), \(q=2^n\), denote the finite field of order \(q\). For \(a_{ij}\in F\), let \[ Q(x) = Q(x_1,\ldots,x_n) = \sum_{1\le i\le j\le m} a_{ij}x_ix_j \] denote a quadratic form over \(F\). If \(y_i = \sum_{j=1}^n c_{ij}x_j\) \((c_{ij}\in F\), \(\det(c_{ij})\ne 0)\) and \(Q(x) = Q_1(y)\), the forms \(Q(x)\) and \(Q_(y)\) are equivalent. \textit{L. E. Dickson} [Linear Groups (1958; Zbl 0082.249), p. 197] proved that if \(Q(x)\) is not equivalent to a form in fewer than \(m\) indeterminates then it is equivalent to either \[ y_1y_2 + y_3y_4 + \ldots + y_{n-2}y_{n-1} + y_n^2 (m \text{ odd}) \] or to one of the forms \[ y_1y_2 + y_3y_4 + \ldots + y_{n-1}y_n, \tag{*} \] \[ y_1y_2 + \ldots + y_{n-3}y_{n-3} + y_{n-1}^2 + y_{n-1}y_n + \beta y_n^2, \tag{**} \] when \(m\) is even; in the latter case \(\beta\) is any number of \(F\) such that \(u^2 + uv + \beta v^2\) is irreducible over \(F[u,v]\). We say that \(Q(x)\) is of type \(\tau = +1\) or \(-1\) according as it is equivalent to (*) or (**). For \(a\in F\) put \(e(a) = (-1)^{t(a)}\), \(t(a) =a + a^2+ a^{2^2} + \ldots + 2^{2^{n-1}}\). We now define the sum \[ S(Q) = \sum_{c_1,\ldots,c_n\in F} e(Q(c_1,\ldots,c_n)) \] and more generally \[ S(Q,L) = \sum_{c_1,\ldots,c_n\in F} e\{Q(c_1,\ldots,c_n) + L(c_1,\ldots,c_n)\} \] where \[ L(x) = L(x_1,\ldots,x_n) = \sum_{j=1}^n b_jx_j\quad (b_j\in F) \] is an arbitrary linear form over \(F\). It is proved first that if \(Q(x)\) is not equivalent to a form in fewer than \(m\) indeterminates, then \[ S(Q) = \begin{cases} \quad 0\qquad & (m \text{ odd}), \\ \quad \tau q^{n/2}\qquad & (m \text{ even}). \end{cases} \] The corresponding results for \(S(Q,L)\) are somewhat more elaborate and require the introduction of certain simultaneous invariants of \(Q\) and \(L\). As an application the number of solutions of \[ Q(x) +L(x) =a\quad (a\in F) \tag{***} \] is obtained. More generally the weighted sum \(\sum e(\lambda_1c_1 + \ldots + \lambda_nc_n)\) where the summation is over all solutions of (***) is expressed in terms of the Kloosterman sum \(K(a, b) = \sum_{c\ne 0} e(ac + bc^{-1})\).