Linear complexity problems of level sequences of Euler quotients and their related binary sequences
This work addresses a specific problem in number theory and cryptography related to sequence properties, but it appears incremental as it builds on known Euler quotient decompositions.
The paper tackles the problem of analyzing the linear complexity of level sequences derived from Euler quotients modulo odd-prime powers, determining exact values for linear complexity and k-error linear complexity of related binary sequences.
The Euler quotient modulo an odd-prime power $p^r~(r>1)$ can be uniquely decomposed as a $p$-adic number of the form $$ \frac{u^{(p-1)p^{r-1}} -1}{p^r}\equiv a_0(u)+a_1(u)p+\ldots+a_{r-1}(u)p^{r-1} \pmod {p^r},~ \gcd(u,p)=1, $$ where $0\le a_j(u)<p$ for $0\le j\le r-1$ and we set all $a_j(u)=0$ if $\gcd(u,p)>1$. We firstly study certain arithmetic properties of the level sequences $(a_j(u))_{u\ge 0}$ over $\mathbb{F}_p$ via introducing a new quotient. Then we determine the exact values of linear complexity of $(a_j(u))_{u\ge 0}$ and values of $k$-error linear complexity for binary sequences defined by $(a_j(u))_{u\ge 0}$.