Conjecture on sums of a 5-potent and an n-potent in finite fields

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Let qq be a prime power and let nn satisfy the normal conditions for the Restricted Problem. An element a∈Fqa\in\mathbb{F}_q is 5-potent if it is a fifth power, and nn-potent if it is an nnth power. Finite-field 5-potent sum conjecture. Every element of Fq\mathbb{F}_q is a sum of a 5-potent and an nn-potent only for the pairs

(q,n)∈{(7,4),(9,3),(9,5),(5,2),(5,3),(13,5),(13,7),(17,9),(25,9),(25,13),(29,15),(41,21),(49,25),(53,27),(73,37),(81,41),(125,63)}.(q,n)\in\{(7,4),(9,3),(9,5),(5,2),(5,3),(13,5),(13,7),(17,9),(25,9),(25,13),(29,15),(41,21),(49,25),(53,27),(73,37),(81,41),(125,63)\}.

The conjecture extends the paper's Restricted Problem from m=4m=4 to m=5m=5; the stated list is supported by computations for q≤10000q\leq 10000, while the theoretical argument for this case has not yet been undertaken.

References

Primary source

Stephen D. Cohen, Peter V. Danchev and Tomás Oliveira e Silva, “Finite fields whose members are the sum of a potent and a 4-potent”, arXiv:2503.06600 (2025).

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