The small value set polynomials over finite fields and monodromy groups (Q6979230)

Let \(\mathbb{F}_q\) be a finite field of characteristic \(p\) with \(q\) elements and \(f(T)\in \mathbb{F}_q[T]\) be a polynomial of degree \(n\) with nonzero derivative \(f^{\prime}(T)\). Let \(G\) be the Galois group of \(f(T)-t\in \mathbb{F}_q(t)[T]\), and \(N\) be the Galois group of \(f(T)-t\) over \(\overline{\mathbb{F}}_q(t)\), where \(t\) is a transcendental element over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) and \(\overline{\mathbb{F}}_q\) is an algebraic closure of \(\mathbb{F}_q\). The groups \(G\) and \(N\) are called the \textit{arithmetic monodromy group} and \textit{the geometric monodromy group} of \(f(T)\), respectively. The quotient \(G/N\) is cyclic and is generated by \(\sigma N\). The number \(V_f\) is called the value of the set \(\{f(a):a\in\mathbb{F}_q\}\) with the bounds \(\lfloor\frac{q-1}{n}\rfloor+1\leq V_f\le q\), where \(\lfloor\cdot\rfloor\) is the greatest integer function. If \(V_f=q\), then \(f\) is called a permutation polynomial. If \(V_f=\lfloor\frac{q-1}{n}\rfloor+1\), then \(f\) is called the \textit{minimal value set polynomial} (MVSP). \textit{S. D. Cohen} [Acta Arith. 17, 255--271 (1970; Zbl 0209.36001)] characterized \(V_f\) to certain Galois groups (monodromy groups) associated to the polynomial \(f\) in the following form \(V_f=\delta q+O_n(\sqrt{q}),\) where \(\delta=\frac{\vert \Delta\vert}{\vert N\vert}\in\,(0,1]\), \(O_n(\sqrt{q})\) denotes the constant in the error term depends on \(n\), not on \(q\). If \(\delta=1\), \(f\) is called exceptional polynomial over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) (see [\textit{M. D. Fried} et al., Isr. J. Math. 82, No. 1--3, 157--225 (1993; Zbl 0855.11063)])\N\NIn this paper, the authors focus on the polynomials \(f\) such that \(V_f\) is small in terms of monodromy groups. Firstly, they study the lower bound of \(\delta\) in the asymptotic formula given by Cohen for general polynomials and give a conjecture based on some examples. They call \(f\) is (AMVSP) \textit{absolutely minimal value set polynomials over \(\mathbb{F}_q\)} if \(f\) is MVSP over any finite extension over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) and \(\vert G\vert=n\). With the assumption \(1<n\le \sqrt{q}+1\), they prove that \(f\) is MVSP if and only if \(f \) is AMVSP. Further, they provide simpler proofs of some known results using a completely different approach. Finally, the authors give a proof of the classification of AMVSPs over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) in terms of the monodromy groups of \((2\times 2)\) projective matrices.