Every strict sum of cubes in \(\mathbb F_4[t]\) is a strict sum of 6 cubes (Q931847)

Summary: It is easy to see that an element \(P(t) \in \mathbb F_4[t]\) is a strict sum of cubes if and only if \(P(t) \in M(4)\) where \(M(4) = \{P(t) \in \mathbb F_4[t] \mid P(r) \in \{0,1\}\) for all \(r \in \mathbb F_4\) and such that either 3 does not divide \(\deg(P(t))\), or 3 does divide \(\deg(P(t))\) and \(P(t)\) is monic \(\}\). We say that \(P(t)\) is a ``strict'' sum of cubes \(A_1(t)^3 + \cdots + A_g(t)^3\) if \(\deg(A_i^3)< \deg(P) + 3\) for each \(i\), and we define \(g(3, \mathbb F_4[ t ])\) as the least \(g\) such that every element of \(M(4)\) is a strict sum of \(g\) cubes. The main result is that \(g(3, \mathbb F_4[t]) \leq 6\). This improves an earlier result of the author that \(g(3, \mathbb F_4[t]) \leq 9\).