Proofs of two conjectures on ternary weakly regular bent functions

We study ternary monomial functions of the form f(x)=\Tr_n(ax^d), where x\in \Ff_{3^n} and \Tr_n: \Ff_{3^n}\to \Ff_3 is the absolute trace function. Using a lemma of Hou \cite{hou}, Stickelberger's theorem on Gauss sums, and certain ternary weight inequalities, we show that certain ternary monomial functions arising from \cite{hk1} are weakly regular bent, settling a conjecture of Helleseth and Kholosha \cite{hk1}. We also prove that the Coulter-Matthews bent functions are weakly regular.Comment: 20 page

Artin's primitive root conjecture -a survey -

This is an expanded version of a write-up of a talk given in the fall of 2000 in Oberwolfach. A large part of it is intended to be understandable by non-number theorists with a mathematical background. The talk covered some of the history, results and ideas connected with Artin's celebrated primitive root conjecture dating from 1927. In the update several new results established after 2000 are also discussed.Comment: 87 pages, 512 references, to appear in Integer

Around Pelikan's conjecture on very odd sequences

Very odd sequences were introduced in 1973 by J. Pelikan who conjectured that there were none of length >=5. This conjecture was disproved by MacWilliams and Odlyzko in 1977 who proved there are in fact many very odd sequences. We give connections of these sequences with duadic codes, cyclic difference sets, levels (Stufen) of cyclotomic fields, and derive some new asymptotic results on their lengths and on S(n), which denotes the number of very odd sequences of length n.Comment: 21 pages, two tables. Revised version with improved presentation and correction of some typos and minor errors that will appear in Manuscripta Mathematic