LOCAL PERMUTATION POLYNOMIALS OVER FINITE FIELDS

Let $q = p^r$, where p is a prime. A polynomial $f(x) \in GF(q)[x]$ is called a permutation polynomial (PP) over GF(q) if the numbers f(a) where $a \in GF(Q)$ are a permutation of the a's. In other words, the equation f(x) = a has a unique solution in GF(q) for each $a \in GF(q)$. More generally, $f(x_1, \cdots, x_n)$ is a PP in n variables if $f(x_1,\cdots,x_n) = \alpha$ has exactly $q^{n-1}$ solutions in $GF(q)^n$ for each $\alpha \in GF(q)$. Mullen ([3], [4], [5]) has studied the concepts of local permutation polynomials (LPP's) over finite fields. A polynomial $f(x_i, x_2, \cdots, x_n) \in GF(q)[x_i, \codts,x_n]$ is called a LPP if for each i = 1,\cdots, n, f(a_i,\cdots,x_n]$ is a PP in $x_i$ for all $a_j \in GF(q), j \neq 1$.Mullen ([3],[4]) found a set of necessary and three variables over GF(q) in order that f be a LPP. As examples, there are 12 LPP's over GF(3) in two indeterminates ; $f(x_1, x_2) = a_{10}x_1 + a_{10}x_2 + a_{00}$ where $a_{10} = 1$ or 2, $a_{01} = 1$ or x, $a_{00} = 0,1$, or 2. There are 24 LPP's over GF(3) of three indeterminates ; $F(x_1, x_2, x_3) = ax_1 + bx_2 +cx_3 +d$ where a,b and c = 1 or 2, d = 0,1, or 2.