Distribution of power residues over shifted subfields and maximal cliques in generalized Paley graphs

Abstract

We derive an asymptotic formula for the number of solutions in a given subfield to certain system of equations over finite fields. As an application, we construct new families of maximal cliques in generalized Paley graphs. Given integers $d\ge2$ and $q \equiv 1 \pmod d$, we show that for each positive integer $m$ such that $\operatorname{rad}(m) \mid \operatorname{rad}(d)$, there are maximal cliques of size approximately $q/m$ in the $d$-Paley graph defined on $\mathbb{F}_{q^d}$. We also confirm a conjecture of Goryainov, Shalaginov, and the second author on the maximality of certain cliques in generalized Paley graphs, as well as an analogous conjecture of Goryainov for Peisert graphs.