All even (unitary) perfect polynomials over $\F_2$ with only Mersenne primes as odd divisors

Abstract

We address an arithmetic problem in the ring $\F_2[x]$ related to the fixed points of the sum of divisors function. We study some binary polynomials $A$ such that $\sigma(A)/A $ is still a binary polynomial. Technically, we prove that the only (unitary) perfect polynomials over $\F_2$ that are products of $x$, $x+1$ and of Mersenne primes are precisely the nine (resp. nine "classes") known ones. This follows from a new result about the factorization of $M^{2h+1} +1$, for a Mersenne prime $M$ and for a positive integer $h$.