Some lower bounds on the algebraic immunity of functions given by their trace forms

The algebraic immunity of a Boolean function is a parameter that characterizes the possibility to bound this function from above or below by a nonconstant Boolean function of a low algebraic degree. We obtain lower bounds on the algebraic immunity for a class of functions expressed through the inversion operation in the field GF(2 ⁿ ), as well as for larger classes of functions defined by their trace forms. In particular, for n ≥ 5, the algebraic immunity of the function Tr _n (x ^?1) has a lower bound ?2√n + 4? ? 4, which is close enough to the previously obtained upper bound ?√n? + ?n/?√n?? ? 2. We obtain a polynomial algorithm which, give a trace form of a Boolean function f, computes generating sets of functions of degree ≤ d for the following pair of spaces. Each function of the first (linear) space bounds f from below, and each function of the second (affine) space bounds f from above. Moreover, at the output of the algorithm, each function of a generating set is represented both as its trace form and as a polynomial of Boolean variables.     

The global avalanche characteristics of two Boolean functions and algebraic immunity

The global avalanche characteristics criterion of two Boolean functions was introduced by Zhou et al. [On the global avalanche characteristics criterion of two Boolean functions and the higher order nonlinearity, Inform. Sci. 180(2) (2010), pp. 256–265] to measure the cryptographic behaviour in a global characteristic. The two indicators σ _{f, g} and Δ _{f, g} of Boolean functions f and g were presented. In this paper, a new upper bound on σ _{f, g} is derived, and a technique on constructing Boolean functions to attain the lower bound on the sum-of-squares indicator is described by using the disjoint spectra method. Some new upper bounds on Δ _{f, g} and σ _{f, g} are deduced for two special Boolean functions. Two relationships between σ _{f, g} and algebraic immunity of the two Boolean functions are obtained. Finally, some links among different cryptographic indicators are shown.     

Highly nonlinear balanced Boolean functions with good local and global avalanche characteristics

Here we deal with an interesting subset of n-variable balanced Boolean functions which satisfy strict avalanche criteria. These functions achieve the sum-of-square indicator value (a measure for global avalanche criteria) strictly less than 2²ⁿ⁺¹ and nonlinearity strictly greater than 2ⁿ⁻¹−2^⌊n/2⌋. These parameters are currently best known. Moreover, these functions do not possess any nonzero linear structure. The technique involves a well-known simple construction coupled with very good initial functions obtained by computer search, which were not known earlier.     

The lower bounds on the second order nonlinearity of three classes of Boolean functions with high nonlinearity

The rth order nonlinearity of Boolean functions is an important cryptographic criterion associated with some attacks on stream and block ciphers. It is also very useful in coding theory, since it is related to the covering radii of Reed-Muller codes. This paper tightens the lower bounds of the second order nonlinearity of three classes of Boolean functions in the form f(x)=tr(x^d) in n variables, where (1) d=2^m+1+3 and n=2m, or (2) , n=2m and m is odd, or (3) d=2^2r+2^r+1+1 and n=4r.     

On the global avalanche characteristics between two Boolean functions and the higher order nonlinearity

The criterion for the global avalanche characteristics (GAC) of cryptographic functions is an important property. To measure the correlation between two arbitrary Boolean functions, we propose two new criteria called the sum-of-squares indicator and the absolute indicator of the cross-correlation between two Boolean functions. The two indicators generalize the GAC criterion. Based on the properties of the cross-correlation function, we deduce the rough lower and the rough upper bounds on the two indicators by hamming weights of two Boolean functions, and generalize some properties between the Walsh spectrum and the cross-correlation function. Furthermore, we give the tight upper and the tight lower bounds on the two indicators. Finally, we show some relationships between the upper bounds on the two indicators and the higher order nonlinearity.     

On P versus NP $ \cap $ co-NP for decision trees and read-once branching programs

It is known that if a Boolean function f in n variables has a DNF and a CNF of size then f also has a (deterministic) decision tree of size exp(O(log n log² N)). We show that this simulation cannot be made polynomial: we exhibit explicit Boolean functions f that require deterministic trees of size exp where N is the total number of monomials in minimal DNFs for f and ?f. Moreover, we exhibit new examples of explicit Boolean functions that require deterministic read-once branching programs of exponential size whereas both the functions and their negations have small nondeterministic read-once branching programs. One example results from the Bruen—Blokhuis bound on the size of nontrivial blocking sets in projective planes: it is remarkably simple and combinatorially clear. Other examples have the additional property that f is in AC⁰. Received: June 5 1997.     

On affine (non)equivalence of Boolean functions

In this paper we construct a multiset S(f) of a Boolean function f consisting of the weights of the second derivatives of the function f with respect to all distinct two-dimensional subspaces of the domain. We refer to S(f) as the second derivative spectrum of f. The frequency distribution of the weights of these second derivatives is referred to as the weight distribution of the second derivative spectrum. It is demonstrated in this paper that this weight distribution can be used to distinguish affine nonequivalent Boolean functions. Given a Boolean function f on n variables we present an efficient algorithm having O(n2²ⁿ ) time complexity to compute S(f). Using this weight distribution we show that all the 6-variable affine nonequivalent bents can be distinguished. We study the subclass of partial-spreads type bent functions known as PS _ap type bents. Six different weight distributions are obtained from the set of PS _ap bents on 8-variables. Using the second derivative spectrum we show that there exist 6 and 8 variable bent functions which are not affine equivalent to rotation symmetric bent functions. Lastly we prove that no non-quadratic Kasami bent function is affine equivalent to Maiorana–MacFarland type bent functions.     

Graph Complexity and Slice Functions

Abstract. A graph-theoretic approach to study the complexity of Boolean functions was initiated by Pudlák, Rödl, and Savický [PRS] by defining models of computation on graphs. These models generalize well-known models of Boolean complexity such as circuits, branching programs, and two-party communication complexity. A Boolean function f is called a 2-slice function if it evaluates to zero on inputs with less than two 1's and evaluates to one on inputs with more than two 1's. On inputs with exactly two 1's f may be nontrivially defined. There is a natural correspondence between 2-slice functions and graphs. Using the framework of graph complexity, we show that sufficiently strong superlinear monotone lower bounds for the very special class of {2-slice functions} would imply superpolynomial lower bounds over a complete basis for certain functions derived from them. We prove, for instance, that a lower bound of n ^1+Ω(1) on the (monotone) formula size of an explicit 2-slice function f on n variables would imply a 2 ^Ω(?) lower bound on the formula size over a complete basis of another explicit function g on l variables, where l=Θ( log n) . We also consider lower bound questions for depth-3 bipartite graph complexity. We prove a weak lower bound on this measure using algebraic methods. For instance, our result gives a lower bound of Ω(( log n) ³ / ( log log n) ⁵ ) for bipartite graphs arising from Hadamard matrices, such as the Paley-type bipartite graphs. Lower bounds for depth-3 bipartite graph complexity are motivated by two significant applications: (i) a lower bound of n ^Ω(1) on the depth-3 complexity of an explicit n -vertex bipartite graph would yield superlinear size lower bounds on log-depth Boolean circuits for an explicit function, and (ii) a lower bound of $\exp((\log \log n)^{\omega(1)})$ would give an explicit language outside the class Σ ₂ ^cc of the two-party communication complexity as defined by Babai, Frankl, and Simon [BFS]. Our lower bound proof is based on sign-representing polynomials for DNFs and lower bounds on ranks of ±1 matrices even after being subjected to sign-preserving changes to their entries. For the former, we use a result of Nisan and Szegedy [NS] and an idea from a recent result of Klivans and Servedio [KS]. For the latter, we use a recent remarkable lower bound due to Forster [F1].     

On the lower bounds of the second order nonlinearities of some Boolean functions

The rth order nonlinearity of a Boolean function is an important cryptographic criterion in analyzing the security of stream as well as block ciphers. It is also important in coding theory as it is related to the covering radius of the Reed-Muller code R(r,n). In this paper we deduce the lower bounds of the second order nonlinearities of the following two types of Boolean functions:

1.

with d=2^2r+2^r+1 and , where n=6r.

2.

, where x,y∈F_2^t,n=2t,n?6 and i is an integer such that 1?i<t,gcd(2^t-1,2ⁱ+1)=1.

For some λ, the functions of the first type are bent functions, whereas Boolean functions of the second type are all bent functions, i.e., they possess the maximum first order nonlinearity. It is demonstrated that in some cases our bounds are better than the previously obtained bounds.     

关于二阶代数免疫布尔函数的几个结果

关于布尔函数的代数免疫性与弹性、代数次数、非线性度之间的关系的结果至今仍然很少,饱和最优布尔函数在流密码领域具有较高的理论价值,通过计算证明文献[1]中命题8给出的5元最优布尔函数都是2阶代数免疫函数,并在此基础上对这个结果做了进一步推广。     

The complexity of a multiprocessor task assignment problem without deadlines

We construct a sequence of monotone Boolean functions h_n :{0, 1}ⁿ→{0, 1}ⁿ, such that the monotone complexity of h_n is of order $\text{n}{}^2\text{log n}$. This result includes the largest known lower bound of this kind. Previously there were an $\text{Ω(n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{)}$ bound for the Boolean matrix product, an $\text{Ω(n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>5</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}\text{)}$ bound for Boolean sums and an $\text{Ω(}\text{n}{}^2\text{log}{}^2\text{n}\text{)}$ bound by the author for the same functions h_n. This new lower bound is proved by new methods which probably will turn out to be useful also for other problems.     

A 4n-lower bound on the monotone network complexity of a one-output boolean function

The main purpose of Boolean network theory is to find functions f:{0, 1}ⁿ → {0, 1} with large network complexity. The best known lower bound over the complete basis of all binary functions is of size 3n for a non-monotone function (Blum (1982)). Bloniarz (1979) has proved a 3n-lower bound for the majority-function over the monotone basis. In this paper a special function is presented for which a lower bound of size 4n over the monotone basis can be proved.     

An algebraic attack on the improved summation generator with 2-bit memory

Recently algebraic attacks on stream ciphers have received much attention. In this paper we apply an algebraic attack to the improved summation generator with 2-bit memory, which was presented by Lee and Moon in order to give the original summation generator correlation immunity. We show that the initial state of the generator can be recovered within O(n^5.6) bit operations from O(n²) regular output bits, where n is the total length of LFSRs. We could recover the initial key bits in practice within 3 minutes on a PC even for the case n=256. Our result is a good example that shows how powerful algebraic attacks are in the analysis of stream ciphers.     

On the degree of boolean functions as real polynomials

Every Boolean function may be represented as a real polynomial. In this paper, we characterize the degree of this polynomial in terms of certain combinatorial properties of the Boolean function. Our first result is a tight lower bound of Ω(logn) on the degree needed to represent any Boolean function that depends onn variables. Our second result states that for every Boolean functionf, the following measures are all polynomially related:

o The decision tree complexity off.

o The degree of the polynomial representingf.

o The smallest degree of a polynomialapproximating f in theL _max norm.

     

Construction of 1-resilient Boolean functions with optimum algebraic immunity

In this paper, for an integer n≥10, two classes of n-variable Boolean functions with optimum algebraic immunity (AI) are constructed, and their nonlinearities are also determined. Based on non-degenerate linear transforms to the proposed functions, we can obtain 1-resilient n-variable Boolean functions with optimum AI and high nonlinearity if n?1 is never equal to any power of 2.     

5元饱和最优布尔函数的计数问题

同时达到代数次数上界n-m-1和非线性度上界2^n-1-2^m+1的n元m阶弹性布尔函数(m＞n/2-2)具有3个Walsh谱值:0,±2^m+2这样的函数被称为饱和最优函数(saturated best,简称SB).将利用(32,6)Reed-Muller码陪集重量的分布,从一种全新的构造角度出发,给出n=5的饱和最优函数的个数.     

Block sensitivity of minterm-transitive functions

Boolean functions with a high degree of symmetry are interesting from a complexity theory perspective: extensive research has shown that these functions, if nonconstant, must have high complexity according to various measures.In a recent work of this type, Sun (2007) [9] gave lower bounds on the block sensitivity of nonconstant Boolean functions invariant under a transitive permutation group. Sun showed that all such functions satisfy bs(f)=Ω(N^1/3). He also showed that there exists such a function for which bs(f)=O(N^3/7lnN). His example belongs to a subclass of transitively invariant functions called “minterm-transitive” functions, defined by Chakraborty (2005) [3].We extend these results in two ways. First, we show that nonconstant minterm-transitive functions satisfy bs(f)=Ω(N^3/7). Thus, Sun’s example has nearly minimal block sensitivity for this subclass. Second, we improve Sun’s example: we exhibit a minterm-transitive function for which bs(f)=O(N^3/7ln^1/7N).     

A very simple function that requires exponential size nondeterministic graph-driven read-once branching programs

Branching programs are a well-established computation model for Boolean functions, especially read-once branching programs (BP1s) have been studied intensively. A very simple function f in n² variables is exhibited such that both the function f and its negation ¬f can be computed by Σ³_p-circuits, the function f has nondeterministic BP1s (with one nondeterministic node) of linear size and ¬f has size O(n⁴) for oblivious nondeterministic BP1s but f requires nondeterministic graph-driven BP1s of size . This answers an open question stated by Jukna, Razborov, Savický, and Wegener [Comput. Complexity 8 (1999) 357-370].