On the exceptionality of rational APN functions (Q6074019)

A function \(f\) on the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\), \(q=2^n\), is called an APN function (almost perfect nonlinear) if for all nonzero \(a\in\mathbb{F}_q\), the derivative \(D_af(x) = f(x+a)+f(x)\) is \(2\)-to-\(1\). An APN function \(f\) (not necessarily represented as a polynomial) is called exceptional, if \(f\) is APN over infinitely many extensions \(\mathbb{F}_{q^m}\) of \(\mathbb{F}_q\). The authors consider functions, which can be represented by rational maps. As main result, they present non-existence results for exceptional APN functions given as \(\varphi = \frac{f}{g}\), \(f,g\in\mathbb{F}_q[x]\), \(\gcd(f,g) = 1\), \(g(x)\ne 0\) for all \(x\in\mathbb{F}_q\).