Quadrics and Difference Sets

W.-A. Jackson1, K.A.S. Quinn2, P.R. Wild3
1 Department of Pure Mathematics The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
2 Department of Mathematics and Computing Roehampton Institute Southlands College Wimbledon Parkside London U.K. SW19 5NN
3Department of Mathematics Royal Holloway and Bedford New College Egham Hill, Egham Surrey U.K. TW20 OEX

Abstract

Let \(L\) be a linear form on the Galois field \(\text{GF}(q^{n+1})\) over \(\text{GF}(q)\) (\(n \geq 2\)). We characterize those integers \(s\) coprime to \(v = (q^{n+1}-1)/(q-1)\) such that \(L(x^s)\) is (or is related to) a quadratic form on \(\text{GF}(q^{n+1})\) over \(\text{GF}(q)\). This relates to a conjecture of Games concerning quadrics of the form \(rD\) in \(\text{PG}(n,q)\), where \(D\) is a difference set in the cyclic group \({Z}_v\), acting as a Singer group on the points and hyperplanes of \(\text{PG}(n,q)\). It has been shown that Games’ conjecture does not hold except possibly in the case \(q = 2\): here we establish that it holds exactly when \(q = 2\). We also suggest a new conjecture. Our result for \(q=2\) enables us to prove another conjecture of Games’, concerning \(m\)-sequences with three-valued periodic cross-correlation function.