TY - GEN
T1 - Two structural results for low degree polynomials and applications
AU - Cohen, Gil
AU - Tal, Avishay
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Gil Cohen and Avishay Tal.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - In this paper, two structural results concerning low degree polynomials over finite fields are given. The first states that over any finite field F, for any polynomial f on n variables with degree d ≤ log(n)/10, there exists a subspace of Fn with dimension Ω (d·n1/(d-1)) on which f is constant. This result is shown to be tight. Stated differently, a degree d polynomial cannot compute an affine disperser for dimension smaller than Ω (d·n1/(d-1)). Using a recursive argument, we obtain our second structural result, showing that any degree d polynomial f induces a partition of Fn to affine subspaces of dimension Ω (n1/(d-1)!), such that f is constant on each part. We extend both structural results to more than one polynomial. We further prove an analog of the first structural result to sparse polynomials (with no restriction on the degree) and to functions that are close to low degree polynomials. We also consider the algorithmic aspect of the two structural results. Our structural results have various applications, two of which are: Dvir [11] introduced the notion of extractors for varieties, and gave explicit constructions of such extractors over large fields. We show that over any finite field any affine extractor is also an extractor for varieties with related parameters. Our reduction also holds for dispersers, and we conclude that Shaltiel's affine disperser [26] is a disperser for varieties over F2. Ben-Sasson and Kopparty [6] proved that any degree 3 affine disperser over a prime field is also an affine extractor with related parameters. Using our structural results, and based on the work of Kaufman and Lovett [19] and Haramaty and Shpilka [17], we generalize this result to any constant degree.
AB - In this paper, two structural results concerning low degree polynomials over finite fields are given. The first states that over any finite field F, for any polynomial f on n variables with degree d ≤ log(n)/10, there exists a subspace of Fn with dimension Ω (d·n1/(d-1)) on which f is constant. This result is shown to be tight. Stated differently, a degree d polynomial cannot compute an affine disperser for dimension smaller than Ω (d·n1/(d-1)). Using a recursive argument, we obtain our second structural result, showing that any degree d polynomial f induces a partition of Fn to affine subspaces of dimension Ω (n1/(d-1)!), such that f is constant on each part. We extend both structural results to more than one polynomial. We further prove an analog of the first structural result to sparse polynomials (with no restriction on the degree) and to functions that are close to low degree polynomials. We also consider the algorithmic aspect of the two structural results. Our structural results have various applications, two of which are: Dvir [11] introduced the notion of extractors for varieties, and gave explicit constructions of such extractors over large fields. We show that over any finite field any affine extractor is also an extractor for varieties with related parameters. Our reduction also holds for dispersers, and we conclude that Shaltiel's affine disperser [26] is a disperser for varieties over F2. Ben-Sasson and Kopparty [6] proved that any degree 3 affine disperser over a prime field is also an affine extractor with related parameters. Using our structural results, and based on the work of Kaufman and Lovett [19] and Haramaty and Shpilka [17], we generalize this result to any constant degree.
KW - Affine dispersers
KW - Affine extractors
KW - Dispersers for varieties
KW - Extractors for varieties
KW - Low degree polynomials
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U2 - 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2015.680
DO - 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2015.680
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84958547171
T3 - Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs
SP - 680
EP - 709
BT - Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques - 18th International Workshop, APPROX 2015, and 19th International Workshop, RANDOM 2015
A2 - Garg, Naveen
A2 - Jansen, Klaus
A2 - Rao, Anup
A2 - Rolim, Jose D. P.
PB - Schloss Dagstuhl- Leibniz-Zentrum fur Informatik GmbH, Dagstuhl Publishing
T2 - 18th International Workshop on Approximation Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization Problems, APPROX 2015, and 19th International Workshop on Randomization and Computation, RANDOM 2015
Y2 - 24 August 2015 through 26 August 2015
ER -