On a conjecture on permutation polynomials over finite fields

Abstract

Let $\Bbb F_q$ be the finite field with $q$ elements and let $p=\text{char}\,\Bbb F_q$. It was conjectured that for integers $e\ge 2$ and $1\le a\le pe-2$, the polynomial $X^{q-2}+X^{q^2-2}+\cdots+X^{q^a-2}$ is a permutation polynomial of $\Bbb F_{q^e}$ if and only if (i) $a=2$ and $q=2$, or (ii) $a=1$ and $\text{gcd}(q-2,q^e-1)=1$. In the present paper we confirm this conjecture.