On the symmetric properties of APN functions

Abstract

We study the symmetric properties of APN functions as well as the structure and properties of the range of an arbitrary APN function. We prove that there is no permutation of variables that preserves the values of an APN function. Upper bounds for the number of symmetric coordinate Boolean functions in an APN function and its coordinate functions invariant under a cyclic shift are obtained. For n ≤ 6, some upper bounds for the maximal number of identical values of an APN function are given and a lower bound is found for different values of an arbitrary APN function of n variables.