On the number of zeros of diagonal cubic forms over finite fields

Let ${mathbb F}_q$ be the finite field with $q=p^k$ elements with $p$ being a prime and $k$ be a positive integer. For any $y, zinmathbb{F}_q$, let $N_s(z)$ and $T_s(y)$ denote the numbers of zeros of $x_1^{3}+cdots+x_s^3=z$ and $x_1^3+cdots+x_{s-1}^3+yx_s^3=0$, respectively. Gauss proved that if $q=p, pequiv1pmod3$ and $y$ is non-cubic, then $T_3(y)=p^2+frac{1}{2}(p-1)(-c+9d)$, where $c$ and $d$ are uniquely determined by $4p=c^2+27d^2,~cequiv 1 pmod 3$ except for the sign of $d$. In 1978, Chowla, Cowles and Cowles determined the sign of $d$ for the case of $2$ being a non-cubic element of ${mathbb F}_p$. But the sign problem is kept open for the remaining case of $2$ being cubic in ${mathbb F}_p$. In this paper, we solve this sign problem by determining the sign of $d$ when $2$ is cubic in ${mathbb F}_p$. Furthermore, we show that the generating functions $sum_{s=1}^{infty} N_{s}(z) x^{s}$ and $sum_{s=1}^{infty} T_{s}(y)x^{s}$ are rational functions for any $z, yinmathbb F_q^*:=mathbb F_qsetminus {0}$ with $y$ being non-cubic over ${mathbb F}_q$ and also give their explicit expressions. This extends the theorem of Myerson and that of Chowla, Cowles and Cowles.