SKW

2 The Gauss sum

Throughout this chapter and the next two, we assume that \(p\) is an odd prime.

Let \(\mathfrak {P}\) be a prime ideal of \(\mathcal{O}_L\) with \(\zeta _p - 1 \in \mathfrak {P}\). Let \(F\) be the subfield of \(L\) with \(F = \mathbb {Q}(\zeta _p)\). The Galois group \(\mathrm{Gal}(L/F)\) is isomorphic to \((\mathbb {Z}/(q-1)\mathbb {Z})^\times \) via the map \(\sigma \mapsto a\) where \(\sigma (\zeta _{q-1}) = \zeta _{q-1}^a\). We denote by \(\mathfrak {n}(\sigma ) \in \{ 1, \ldots , q-2\} \) the natural number corresponding to \(\sigma \) under this isomorphism.

2.1 Gauss sums

Definition 11
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For \(a \in \mathbb {Z}\), the Gauss sum is

\[ g_a = g(\omega ^{-a}, \psi ) = \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-a} \cdot \psi (x). \]
Lemma 12
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If \((q-1) \mid k\), then for all \(a \in \mathbb {Z}\), \(g_{a+k} = g_a\).

Proof

Since \(\omega ^{q-1} = 1\) by 2, \((q-1) \mid k\) implies \(\omega ^{-k} = 1\), so \(\omega ^{-(a+k)} = \omega ^{-a}\), hence \(g_{a+k} = g_a\).

Lemma 13
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If \((q-1) \nmid a\), then \(g_a \in \mathfrak {P}\).

Proof

By 10, \(\psi (x) \equiv 1 \pmod{\mathfrak {P}}\) for all \(x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P\). Therefore

\[ g_a = \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-a} \psi (x) \equiv \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-a} \pmod{\mathfrak {P}}. \]

Since \((q-1) \nmid a\), we have \(\omega ^{-a} \neq 1\) by 2. Hence \(\sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-a} = 0\) by 4. Therefore \(g_a \equiv 0 \pmod{\mathfrak {P}}\), i.e. \(g_a \in \mathfrak {P}\).

Lemma 14

If \((q-1) \nmid a\), then

\[ g_a \cdot g_{-a} = \omega ^a(-1) \cdot p^f. \]
Proof

Since \((q-1) \nmid a\), \(\omega ^{-a}\) is nontrivial and \(\psi \) is primitive by 7. By gaussSum_mul_gaussSum_eq_card, \(g(\omega ^{-a}, \psi ) \cdot g(\omega ^{a}, \psi ^{-1}) = p^f\). By the change of variable \(x \mapsto -x\), \(g(\omega ^{a}, \psi ^{-1}) = \omega ^{a}(-1) \cdot g_{-a}\). Hence \(g_a \cdot g_{-a} = \omega ^a(-1) \cdot p^f\).

Lemma 15
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If \((q-1) \nmid a\), then there exists \(k \geq 1\) such that \(N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_a) = \pm p^k\). In particular, the only rational prime dividing \(N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_a)\) is \(p\).

Proof

By 14, \(g_a \cdot g_{-a} = \omega ^a(-1) \cdot p^f = \pm p^f\). Taking norms, \(N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_a) \cdot N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_{-a}) = \pm p^{f \cdot [L:\mathbb {Q}]}\). Since both norms are integers and their product is \(\pm p^{f \cdot [L:\mathbb {Q}]}\), each is of the form \(\pm p^k\) for some \(k \geq 0\). By 13, \(g_a \in \mathfrak {P}\), so \(g_a\) is not a unit in \(\mathcal{O}_L\), hence \(N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_a) \neq \pm 1\), thus \(k \geq 1\).

Lemma 16
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If \((q-1) \nmid a\), then \(g_a \neq 0\).

Proof

By 15, \(N_{L/\mathbb {Q}}(g_a) = \pm p^k \neq 0\), hence \(g_a \neq 0\).

Lemma 17
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Assume \(\zeta _p - 1 \in \mathfrak {P}\). Then

\[ g_1 \equiv -(\zeta _p - 1) \pmod{\mathfrak {P}^2}. \]
Proof

By 9, \(\psi (x) \equiv 1 + \mathrm{tr}(x) \cdot (\zeta _p - 1) \pmod{\mathfrak {P}^2}\) for all \(x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P\). Therefore

\[ g_1 \equiv \sum _{x} \omega (x)^{-1} + (\zeta _p-1) \sum _{x} \omega (x)^{-1} \mathrm{tr}(x) \pmod{\mathfrak {P}^2}. \]

Since \(p\) is odd, \(q - 1 \geq 2\), so \(\omega ^{-1} \neq 1\) by 2, and \(\sum _x \omega (x)^{-1} = 0\) by orthogonality of characters. Moreover, Computing the trace via powers of Frobenius, \(\sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-1} \cdot \mathrm{tr}(x) = -1\). Hence \(g_1 \equiv -(\zeta _p - 1) \pmod{\mathfrak {P}^2}\).

Lemma 18
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The extension \(L/F\) is Galois with \(\mathrm{Gal}(L/F) \cong (\mathbb {Z}/(q-1)\mathbb {Z})^\times \), via the action on \(\zeta _{q-1}\).

Proof

Since \(\gcd (q-1, p) = 1\), the fields \(K = \mathbb {Q}(\zeta _{q-1})\) and \(F = \mathbb {Q}(\zeta _p)\) are linearly disjoint over \(\mathbb {Q}\). Therefore \(L = KF\) is Galois over \(F\) with \(\mathrm{Gal}(L/F) \cong \mathrm{Gal}(K/\mathbb {Q}) \cong (\mathbb {Z}/(q-1)\mathbb {Z})^\times \).

Lemma 19

For all \(\sigma \in \mathrm{Gal}(L/F)\),

\[ \sigma (g_1) = g_{\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )}. \]
Proof

Since \(\sigma \in \mathrm{Gal}(L/F)\) and \(F = \mathbb {Q}(\zeta _p)\), \(\sigma \) fixes \(\zeta _p\), hence \(\sigma (\psi (x)) = \psi (x)\) for all \(x\). By definition of \(\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )\), \(\sigma (\zeta _{q-1}) = \zeta _{q-1}^{\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )}\), so by 3, \(\sigma (\omega (x)) = \omega (x)^{\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )}\) for all \(x\). Therefore

\[ \sigma (g_1) = \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \sigma (\omega (x)^{-1}) \cdot \sigma (\psi (x)) = \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )} \cdot \psi (x) = g_{\mathfrak {n}(\sigma )}. \]
Lemma 20
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For all \(a \in \mathbb {Z}\), \(g_{pa} = g_a\).

Proof

The Frobenius map \(\varphi : x \mapsto x^p\) is a bijection on \(\mathcal{O}_K/P\). Using the substitution \(y = \varphi (x)\),

\[ g_{pa} = \sum _{x \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (x)^{-pa} \psi (x) = \sum _{y \in \mathcal{O}_K/P} \omega (\varphi ^{-1}(y))^{-pa} \psi (\varphi ^{-1}(y)). \]

By multiplicativity of \(\omega \), \(\omega (\varphi ^{-1}(y))^p = \omega (\varphi ^{-1}(y)^p) = \omega (y)\), so \(\omega (\varphi ^{-1}(y))^{-pa} = \omega (y)^{-a}\). By 8, \(\psi (\varphi ^{-1}(y)) = \psi (y)\). Therefore \(g_{pa} = g_a\).

2.2 Jacobi sums

Lemma 21
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If \((q-1) \nmid (a+b)\), then

\[ g_a \cdot g_b = g_{a+b} \cdot J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b}). \]
Proof

This follows from jacobiSum_mul_nontrivial applied to \(\chi = \omega ^{-a}\) and \(\phi = \omega ^{-b}\).

Lemma 22
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For all \(a, b \in \mathbb {Z}\), \(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b}) \in \mathcal{O}_K\).

Proof
Lemma 23
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If \((q-1) \nmid a\), \((q-1) \nmid b\), and \((q-1) \nmid (a+b)\), then \(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b}) \neq 0\).

Proof

By 16, \(g_a, g_b, g_{a+b} \neq 0\). By 21, \(g_a \cdot g_b = g_{a+b} \cdot J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})\). Since \(g_{a+b} \neq 0\), we conclude \(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b}) \neq 0\).

Lemma 24
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We have

\[ v_{\mathfrak {P}}(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})) = (p-1) \cdot v_P(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})). \]

In particular, \(v_{\mathfrak {P}}(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})) \equiv 0 \pmod{p-1}\) (see Lemma 76 in the Appendix).

Proof

By 22, \(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b}) \in \mathcal{O}_K\). For any \(\alpha \in \mathcal{O}_K\), the relation between the valuations \(v_{\mathfrak {P}}\) and \(v_P\) is given by the ramification index:

\[ v_{\mathfrak {P}}(\alpha ) = e(\mathfrak {P}\mid P) \cdot v_P(\alpha ). \]

By 76, \(e(\mathfrak {P}\mid P) = p - 1\), hence

\[ v_{\mathfrak {P}}(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})) = (p-1) \cdot v_P(J(\omega ^{-a}, \omega ^{-b})). \]