Factorizations of certain bivariate polynomials

Abstract

We determine the factorization of X*f(X)-Y*g(Y) over K[X,Y] for all squarefree additive polynomials f,g in K[X] and all fields K of odd characteristic. This answers a question of Kaloyan Slavov, who needed these factorizations in connection with an algebraic-geometric analogue of the Kakeya problem.