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Let $p \equiv 1 \bmod 3$ be a prime, $\mathbb{F}_p$ be the finite field with $p$ elements, and $a_0$ be a generator of $\mathbb{F}_p^{\times}$ $(\mathbb{F}_p^{\times}$ the group of nonzero elements of $\mathbb{F}_p$ under multiplication.) Suppose that $f(x) = x^3 + a_2 x^2 + a_1 x + a_0$ is irreducible in $\mathbb{F}_p[x]$. Let $C = \{ c \in \mathbb{F}_p\,|\, c = b^3, \, \text{with}\, b \in \mathbb{F}_p \}.$ For $i = 0, 1, 2$, let $D_i = \{ x \in \mathbb{F}_p \,|\, f(x)\in a_0^iC\}$.

How can we determine the cardinality of $D_i$?

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    $\begingroup$ Your notation $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is probably not the $p$-adic integers, but $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 20 at 22:34
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    $\begingroup$ Just to take a very special case, let $f(x)=x^3+a$ with $a$ not in $C$. Then the problem reduces to finding the number of $c$ in $C$ such that $c+a$ is in $a^iC$, $i=0,1,2$, and these numbers are the cyclotomic constants for the cubic case. Gauss worked them out in the Disquisitiones. They depend on the values of $r,s$ such that $p=r^2+3s^2$. See also msp.org/pjm/1955/5-1/pjm-v5-n1-p10-p.pdf (Emma Lehmer, On the number of solutions of $u^k+D=w^2\bmod p$, Pac J. Math 5 (1955) 103-118). $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 21 at 1:18
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you Gerry. I will take a look at Lehmer’s paper. $\endgroup$
    – jjimenez
    Commented Jun 21 at 1:34

1 Answer 1

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Let $\chi$ be a character of $\mathbb F_p^\times$ of order $3$ that sends $a_0$ to $e^{ 2\pi i/3}$ . Then $\sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \chi(f(x)) = D_0 + e^{ 2\pi i/3} D_1 + e^{-2\pi i/3} D_2$ which combined with $D_0+ D_1 + D_2 =p$ lets one calculate $D_0, D_1, D_2$ from $\sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \chi(f(x))$.

This sum $\sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \chi(f(x))$ may be expressed directly in terms of a cubic Gauss sum over $\mathbb F_{p^3}$: One takes the cubic Gauss sum, divides by $p$, and subtracts $1$. So this reduces the problem to computing Gauss sums, on which much literature exists.

Indeed, let $\alpha \in \mathbb F_{p^3}$ have minimal polynomial $f$. Let $N$ be the norm from $\mathbb F_{p^3}$ to $\mathbb F_p$. Then $f(x) = N(x-\alpha)$ so

$$ \sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \chi(f(x))= \sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \chi(N(x-\alpha)) = \frac{1}{p-1} \sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \sum_{ y \in \mathbb F_{p}^\times} \chi( y^3 N(x-\alpha)) = \frac{1}{p-1} \sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \sum_{ y \in \mathbb F_{p}^\times} \chi( N(xy-y\alpha)) = \frac{1}{p-1} \sum_{x\in \mathbb F_p} \sum_{ y \in \mathbb F_{p}^\times} \chi( N(x-y\alpha)) =\frac{1}{p-1} \sum_{x,y \in \mathbb F_p} \chi( N(x-y\alpha)) -1. $$

Now let $\psi$ be an additive character of $\mathbb F_{p^3}$, for example $x\mapsto e^{ 2\pi i\operatorname{tr} x/p}$. Let $z \in \mathbb F_{p^3}^\times$ have the propery that $\psi( z \alpha ) =\psi(z)=1$. Then

$$\frac{1}{p-1} \sum_{x,y \in \mathbb F_p} \chi( N(x-y\alpha)) =\frac{1}{p(p-1)} \sum_{t \in \mathbb F_p} \sum_{a \in \mathbb F_{p^3}} \chi( N(a)) \psi( zt a) = \frac{1}{p(p-1)} \sum_{t \in \mathbb F_p^\times } \sum_{a \in \mathbb F_{p^3}} \chi( N(a)) \psi( zt a) = \frac{1}{p(p-1)} \sum_{t \in \mathbb F_p^\times } \sum_{a \in \mathbb F_{p^3}} \chi( N(t^{-1} a)) \psi( z a) = \frac{1}{p(p-1)} \sum_{t \in \mathbb F_p^\times } \sum_{a \in \mathbb F_{p^3}} \chi( N( a)) \psi( z a) = \frac{1}{ p} \sum_{a \in \mathbb F_{p^3}} \chi( N( a)) \psi( z a)$$

which is a Gauss sum over $\mathbb F_{p^3}$.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you Will Sawin. I wil try to evaluate the last sum. $\endgroup$
    – jjimenez
    Commented Jun 27 at 18:49

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