The Carlitz conjecture on even-degree exceptional polynomials

From papers

Let qq be a prime power. A polynomial f(X)Fq[X]f(X)\in\mathbb{F}_q[X] is exceptional if it induces a bijection on Fqk\mathbb{F}_{q^k} for infinitely many positive integers kk. Carlitz conjecture. There exists no even-degree exceptional polynomial over Fq\mathbb{F}_q for any odd prime power qq. The conjecture concerns restrictions on the degrees of exceptional polynomials over finite fields and was fully proved by Fried, Guralnick, and Saxl using the classification of finite simple groups.

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Primary source

Zhiguo Ding, Wei Xiong and Qifan Zhang, “Exceptional extensions of local fields and the Carlitz–Wan conjecture”, arXiv:2505.12877 (2025).

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