Consecutive non-square non-primitive pairs in a finite field
Number Theory
2026-04-24 v1
Abstract
Let be an odd prime power and write If , or if and , then the finite field contains a pair of consecutive elements that are both non-square and non-primitive. This extends a result of Jarso and Trudgian for prime fields , where the same conclusion was obtained under the stronger condition . More generally, let be the least odd prime divisor of . If , then contains a pair of consecutive elements that are non-squares and th powers, with the sole exceptions .
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.21429,
title = {Consecutive non-square non-primitive pairs in a finite field},
author = {Stephen D. Cohen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.21429},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
13 pages