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1. On the Degree of Polynomials Computing Square Roots Mod p

   https://doi.org/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2024.25  

   Kedlaya, Kiran S; Kopparty, Swastik (January 2024, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik)

   Santhanam, Rahul (Ed.)

   For an odd prime p, we say f(X) ∈ F_p[X] computes square roots in F_p if, for all nonzero perfect squares a ∈ F_p, we have f(a)² = a. When p ≡ 3 mod 4, it is well known that f(X) = X^{(p+1)/4} computes square roots. This degree is surprisingly low (and in fact lowest possible), since we have specified (p-1)/2 evaluations (up to sign) of the polynomial f(X). On the other hand, for p ≡ 1 mod 4 there was previously no nontrivial bound known on the lowest degree of a polynomial computing square roots in F_p. We show that for all p ≡ 1 mod 4, the degree of a polynomial computing square roots has degree at least p/3. Our main new ingredient is a general lemma which may be of independent interest: powers of a low degree polynomial cannot have too many consecutive zero coefficients. The proof method also yields a robust version: any polynomial that computes square roots for 99% of the squares also has degree almost p/3. In the other direction, Agou, Deliglése, and Nicolas [Agou et al., 2003] showed that for infinitely many p ≡ 1 mod 4, the degree of a polynomial computing square roots can be as small as 3p/8. 

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2. Reducing Tarski to Unique Tarski (In the Black-Box Model)

   https://doi.org/10.1137/24M1676508  

   Chen, Xi; Li, Yuhao; Yannakakis, Mihalis (February 2026, SIAM Journal on Computing)

   Abstract. We study the problem of finding a Tarski fixed point over the [Formula: see text]-dimensional grid [Formula: see text]. We give a black-box reduction from the Tarski problem to the same problem with an additional promise that the input function has a unique fixed point. It implies that the Tarski problem and the unique Tarski problem have exactly the same query complexity. Our reduction is based on a novel notion of partial-information functions which we use to fool algorithms for the unique Tarski problem as if they were working on a monotone function with a unique fixed point. 

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3. Certified Hermite matrices from approximate roots

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsc.2022.12.001  

   Ayyildiz Akoglu, Tulay; Szanto, Agnes (July 2023, Journal of Symbolic Computation)

   Let I = f1,..., fm ⊂ Q[x1,..., xn] be a zero dimensional radical ideal defined by polynomials given with exact rational coefficients. Assume that we are given approximations {z1,..., zk} ⊂ Cn for the common roots {ξ1,..., ξk} = V (I) ⊆ Cn. In this paper we show how to construct and certify the rational entries of Hermite matrices for I from the approximate roots {z1,..., zk}. When I is non-radical, we give methods to construct and certify Hermite matrices for √ I from the approximate roots. Furthermore, we use signatures of these Hermite matrices to give rational certificates of non-negativity of a given polynomial over a (possibly positive dimensional) real variety, as well as certificates that there is a real root within an ε distance from a given point z ∈ Qn. 

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4. On correlation bounds against polynomials Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs):38th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2023)

   https://doi.org/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2023.3  

   Ivanov, Peter; Pavlovic, Liam; Viola, Emanuele (January 2023, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik)

   Ta-Shma, Amnon (Ed.)

   We study the fundamental challenge of exhibiting explicit functions that have small correlation with low-degree polynomials over 𝔽₂. Our main contributions include: 1) In STOC 2020, CHHLZ introduced a new technique to prove correlation bounds. Using their technique they established new correlation bounds for low-degree polynomials. They conjectured that their technique generalizes to higher degree polynomials as well. We give a counterexample to their conjecture, in fact ruling out weaker parameters and showing what they prove is essentially the best possible. 2) We propose a new approach for proving correlation bounds with the central "mod functions," consisting of two steps: (I) the polynomials that maximize correlation are symmetric and (II) symmetric polynomials have small correlation. Contrary to related results in the literature, we conjecture that (I) is true. We argue this approach is not affected by existing "barrier results." 3) We prove our conjecture for quadratic polynomials. Specifically, we determine the maximum possible correlation between quadratic polynomials modulo 2 and the functions (x_1,… ,x_n) → z^{∑ x_i} for any z on the complex unit circle, and show that it is achieved by symmetric polynomials. To obtain our results we develop a new proof technique: we express correlation in terms of directional derivatives and analyze it by slowly restricting the direction. 4) We make partial progress on the conjecture for cubic polynomials, in particular proving tight correlation bounds for cubic polynomials whose degree-3 part is symmetric. 

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5. Pseudorandom Bits for Non-Commutative Programs

   https://doi.org/10.4230/lipics.ccc.2025.9  

   Lee, Chin Ho; Viola, Emanuele (August 2025, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik)

   Srinivasan, Srikanth (Ed.)

   {"Abstract":["We obtain new explicit pseudorandom generators for several computational models involving groups. Our main results are as follows: \r\n1) We consider read-once group-products over a finite group G, i.e., tests of the form ∏_{i=1}^n (g_i)^{x_i} where g_i ∈ G, a special case of read-once permutation branching programs. We give generators with optimal seed length c_G log(n/ε) over any p-group. The proof uses the small-bias plus noise paradigm, but derandomizes the noise to avoid the recursion in previous work. Our generator works when the bits are read in any order. Previously for any non-commutative group the best seed length was ≥ log n log(1/ε), even for a fixed order.\r\n2) We give a reduction that "lifts" suitable generators for group products over G to a generator that fools width-w block products, i.e., tests of the form ∏ (g_i)^{f_i} where the f_i are arbitrary functions on disjoint blocks of w bits. Block products generalize several previously studied classes. The reduction applies to groups that are mixing in a representation-theoretic sense that we identify.\r\n3) Combining (2) with (1) and other works we obtain new generators for block products over the quaternions or over any commutative group, with nearly optimal seed length. In particular, we obtain generators for read-once polynomials modulo any fixed m with nearly optimal seed length. Previously this was known only for m = 2.\r\n4) We give a new generator for products over "mixing groups." The construction departs from previous work and uses representation theory. For constant error, we obtain optimal seed length, improving on previous work (which applied to any group). \r\nThis paper identifies a challenge in the area that is reminiscent of a roadblock in circuit complexity - handling composite moduli - and points to several classes of groups to be attacked next."]} 

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