Exercise 10.22

If g α ( χ ) is a Gauss sum on F , defined in section 3, show that

(a)
g α ( χ ) = χ ( α ) ¯ g ( χ ) .
(b)
g ( χ − 1 ) = g ( χ ¯ ) = χ ( − 1 ) g ( χ ) ¯ .
(c)
| g α ( χ ) | = q 1 ∕ 2 .
(d)
g ( χ ) g ( χ − 1 ) = χ ( − 1 ) q .

Answers

Proof. Here ψ : 𝔽 q → ℂ is defined by ψ ( α ) = ζ p tr ( α ) , and the Gauss sum for a character χ of 𝔽 q by

g α ( χ ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( t ) ψ ( αt ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( t ) ζ p tr ( αt ) .

First we generalize Proposition 8.1.2, with the same proof. If χ ≠ 𝜀 , there is an a ∈ 𝔽 q ∗ such that χ ( a ) ≠ 1 . Then, if T = ∑ ⁡ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( t ) , then

χ ( a ) T = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( a ) χ ( t ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( at ) = ∑ s ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( s ) = T .

Since χ ( a ) T = T and χ ( a ) ≠ 1 , it follows that T = 0 . This proves, for a non trivial character χ ,

g 0 ( χ ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( t ) = 0 .

(a)
If α ∈ 𝔽 q ∗ , χ ( α ) g α ( χ ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( α ) χ ( t ) ψ ( αt ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( αt ) ψ ( αt ) = ∑ s ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( s ) ψ ( s ) ( s = αt ) = g ( χ ) .

Since | χ ( α ) | = 1 , χ ( α ) − 1 = χ ( α ) ¯ , thus

g α ( χ ) = χ ( α ) ¯ g ( χ ) .

(b)
Since ( − 1 ) 2 = 1 , ( χ ( − 1 ) ) 2 = 1 , thus χ ( − 1 ) = ± 1 is real, therefore χ ( − 1 ) ¯ = χ ( − 1 ) . This gives g ( χ ) ¯ = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( t ) ¯ ζ p − tr ( t ) = ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( − 1 ) χ ( − t ) ¯ ζ p − tr ( t ) = χ ( − 1 ) ∑ t ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( − t ) ¯ ζ p tr ( − t ) = χ ( − 1 ) ∑ s ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( s ) ¯ ζ p tr ( s ) ( s = − t ) = χ ( − 1 ) g ( χ ¯ )

We have seen in part (a) that χ − 1 = χ ¯ . This gives

g ( χ − 1 ) = g ( χ ¯ ) = χ ( − 1 ) g ( χ ) ¯ .

(c)
Here we assume that χ ≠ 𝜀 . By part (a), | g α ( χ ) | = | g ( χ ) | , so it it sufficient to verify | g ( χ ) | = q 1 ∕ 2 .

We evaluate the sum S = ∑ ⁡ α ∈ 𝔽 q g a ( χ ) g a ( χ ) ¯ in two ways.

∙
We have proved in the introduction that g 0 ( χ ) = 0 . If a ∈ 𝔽 q ∗ , then g a ( χ ) = χ ( a − 1 ) g ( χ ) , and g a ( χ ) ¯ = χ ( a − 1 ) ¯ g ( χ ) ¯ = χ ( a ) g ( χ ) ¯ . It follows that S = ∑ a ∈ 𝔽 q ∗ χ ( a − 1 ) g ( χ ) χ ( a ) g ( χ ) ¯ = ∑ a ∈ 𝔽 q ∗ | g ( χ ) | 2 = ( q − 1 ) | g ( χ ) | 2
∙
Furthermore g a ( χ ) g a ( χ ) ¯ = ∑ x ∈ 𝔽 q ∑ y ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( x ) χ ( y ) ¯ ψ ( a ( x − y ) ) .

Therefore,

S = ∑ a ∈ 𝔽 q ∑ x ∈ 𝔽 q ∑ y ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( x ) χ ( y ) ¯ ψ ( a ( x − y ) ) = ∑ x ∈ 𝔽 q ∑ y ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( x ) χ ( y ) ¯ ( ∑ a ∈ 𝔽 q ψ ( a ( x − y ) ) )

By Proposition 10.3.3,

∑ a ∈ 𝔽 q ψ ( a ( x − y ) ) = qδ ( x , y )

Therefore,

S = q ∑ x ∈ 𝔽 q ∑ y ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( x ) χ ( y ) ¯ δ ( x , y ) = q ∑ x ∈ 𝔽 q χ ( x ) χ ( x ) ¯

Since χ ( x ) χ ( x ) ¯ = 1 if x ≠ 0 , and χ ( x ) χ ( x ) ¯ = 0 if x = 0 , we obtain

S = q ( q − 1 ) .

The comparison of these two results gives

( q − 1 ) | g ( χ ) | 2 = ( q − 1 ) q ,

thus

| g α ( χ ) | = | g ( χ ) | = q .

(d)
Here χ ≠ 𝜀 . Then, by parts (b) and (c), g ( χ ) g ( χ − 1 ) = χ ( − 1 ) g ( χ ) g ( χ ) ¯ = χ ( − 1 ) | g ( χ ) | 2 = χ ( − 1 ) q .
□
User profile picture
2022-07-19 00:00
Comments