On the Classification of Dillon's APN Hexanomials

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Bartoli, Daniele, Grimaldi, Giovanni Giuseppe, Stanica, Pantelimon
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Bartoli, Daniele
Grimaldi, Giovanni Giuseppe
Stanica, Pantelimon
author_facet Bartoli, Daniele
Grimaldi, Giovanni Giuseppe
Stanica, Pantelimon
contents We systematically analyze a class of hexanomial functions over finite fields of characteristic $2$ proposed by Dillon (2006) as candidates for almost perfect nonlinear (APN) functions, significantly extending earlier partial-APN results. For functions over $\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$, where $q=2^n$, of the form \[ F(x)=x(Ax^2+Bx^q+Cx^{2q})+x^2(Dx^q+Ex^{2q})+x^{3q}, \] we derive necessary conditions on the coefficients $A,B,C,D,E$ for APNness using algebraic number theory and algebraic-geometry methods over finite fields. Our main contribution is a comprehensive case-by-case analysis that excludes large classes of Dillon hexanomials via vanishing patterns of key coefficient polynomials. We identify algebraic obstructions -- including absolutely irreducible components of associated varieties and degree incompatibilities in polynomial factorizations -- that prevent these functions from attaining optimal differential uniformity. These results substantially narrow the search space for new APN functions in this family and provide a framework applicable to other APN candidates. We complement the theory with extensive computations: exhaustive searches over $\mathbb{F}_{2^2}$ and $\mathbb{F}_{2^4}$, and random sampling over $\mathbb{F}_{2^6}$ and $\mathbb{F}_{2^8}$, yielding hundreds of APN hexanomials. Complete CCZ-equivalence testing shows that, although many examples occur, they fall into few distinct classes. For $q\in\{2,4\}$, all examples are CCZ-equivalent to the Budaghyan--Carlet family, while in larger dimensions none appear equivalent to that family.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_01003
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the Classification of Dillon's APN Hexanomials
Bartoli, Daniele
Grimaldi, Giovanni Giuseppe
Stanica, Pantelimon
Number Theory
Information Theory
Algebraic Geometry
11G20, 11T06, 12E20, 14Q10
We systematically analyze a class of hexanomial functions over finite fields of characteristic $2$ proposed by Dillon (2006) as candidates for almost perfect nonlinear (APN) functions, significantly extending earlier partial-APN results. For functions over $\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$, where $q=2^n$, of the form \[ F(x)=x(Ax^2+Bx^q+Cx^{2q})+x^2(Dx^q+Ex^{2q})+x^{3q}, \] we derive necessary conditions on the coefficients $A,B,C,D,E$ for APNness using algebraic number theory and algebraic-geometry methods over finite fields. Our main contribution is a comprehensive case-by-case analysis that excludes large classes of Dillon hexanomials via vanishing patterns of key coefficient polynomials. We identify algebraic obstructions -- including absolutely irreducible components of associated varieties and degree incompatibilities in polynomial factorizations -- that prevent these functions from attaining optimal differential uniformity. These results substantially narrow the search space for new APN functions in this family and provide a framework applicable to other APN candidates. We complement the theory with extensive computations: exhaustive searches over $\mathbb{F}_{2^2}$ and $\mathbb{F}_{2^4}$, and random sampling over $\mathbb{F}_{2^6}$ and $\mathbb{F}_{2^8}$, yielding hundreds of APN hexanomials. Complete CCZ-equivalence testing shows that, although many examples occur, they fall into few distinct classes. For $q\in\{2,4\}$, all examples are CCZ-equivalent to the Budaghyan--Carlet family, while in larger dimensions none appear equivalent to that family.
title On the Classification of Dillon's APN Hexanomials
topic Number Theory
Information Theory
Algebraic Geometry
11G20, 11T06, 12E20, 14Q10
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.01003