L-functions of Certain Exponential Sums over Finite Fields

Abstract

In this paper, we completely determine the slopes and weights of the L-functions of an important class of exponential sums arising from analytic number theory. Our main tools include Adolphson-Sperber's work on toric exponential sums and Wan's decomposition theorems. One consequence of our main result is a sharp estimate of these exponential sums. Another consequence is to obtain an explicit counterexample of Adolphson-Sperber's conjecture on weights of toric exponential sums.