Niho bent functions and ovals in small dimensions
Let \(f: \mathbb{F}_{2^n} \longrightarrow \mathbb{F}_2\) be a Boolean function on \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\), \(n\) even and let set \(m=\frac{n}{2}\). This is said to be \textit{bent function} if its Walsh transform \[W_f(b) = \sum_{x \in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}} (-1)^{f(x)+b \cdot x}\] is equal to \(\pm 2^{m}\) for all \(b \in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}\), where \(b \cdot x\) is an inner product of \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) over \(\mathbb{F}_2\). If \(f\) is a bent function over \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\), its \textit{dual functionn} \(\hat{f}\) is defined by the equation \N\[\N(-1)^{\tilde{f}(x)} 2^{m} = W_f (x),\N\]\Nand it is known that the dual of a bent function is bent, and \(\hat{ \hat{f}}= f\).\N\NBent functions that are linear on the elements of a Desarguesian spread of \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}\) are called Niho bent functions.\N\NThe equivalence classes of Niho bent functions are in one-to-one correspondence with the equivalence classes of ovals in the projective plane \(\mathrm{PG}(2,2^m)\). Indeed the following result holds:\N\N\textbf{Theorem.} Let \(g: \mathcal{S} \longrightarrow \mathbb{F}_{2^{m}}\) a function defined over a Desarguesian spread of \(\mathbb{F}_{2^n}= \mathbb{F}_{2^{m}} \times \mathbb{F}_{2^{m}}\) and let define \(f(\lambda u) = \mathrm{Tr}_{2^{m}/2}(\lambda g(u))\) with \(u \in \mathcal{S}\) and \(\lambda \in \mathbb{F}_{2^{m}}.\) Then the following statements are equivalent:\N\begin{itemize}\N\item [1.] The function \(f\) is a (Niho) bent function;\N\item [2.] The set \(\left \{ \langle(u, g(u)) \rangle_{\mathbb{F}_{2^m}} \colon u \in \mathcal{S} \right \}\) is an oval in \(\mathrm{PG}(2, 2^m)\) with nucleus in the point \(\langle (0,0,1)\rangle_{\mathbb{F}_{2^m}}\).\N\end{itemize}\NIn particular, an hyperoval determines many equivalence classes of bent functions. Any function \(g: \mathcal{S} \longrightarrow \mathbb{F}_{2^{m}}\) as in the theorem above is called a \(g\)-\textit{function}. In this paper, the author describe Niho bent functions and ovals in the language of \(g\)-functions. They also describe supports of those functions and their duals in terms of associated ovals, giving a list of all inequivalent ovals and, hence, of all equivalence classes of Niho bent functions for any \(m \leq 6\). Finally, the authors underline as finding the explicit list of all \(g\)-functions which determine different Niho bent functions (up to equivalence) is an essential step toward a full classification of hyperovals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2, 2^m)\).
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