Each mapping f of the set {0,1}
n of n-dimensional binary vectors to {0,1} is called Boolean function of n variables and denoted by f(x
n,x
n-1,...,x1). For cryptography some properties of the Boolean functions are interesting. Let denote by B(n,k) the set of n-dimensional binary vectors that have k 1's. The task is for given Boolean function f to find the number of vectors (b
n,b
n-1,...,b1) from B(n,k) such that f(b
n,b
n-1,...,b1)=1.
The Boolean function will be given by its (unique) polynomial modulo 2. In these polynomials the operations addition and multiplication modulo 2 are used, defined as shown in the tables of Fig. 1. In the polynomial of a function any product of m variables could participate or not participate. So the general form of the polynomial for n variables is:
a0+a1x1+a2x2+a3x2x1+a4x3+a5x3x1+a6x3x2+a7x3x2x1+. . .+aNx
nx
n-1...x1
where all coefficients aj, j=0,1,...,N=2^n-1, are 0's or 1's and if the coefficient is equal to 0 we will omit the corresponding product and if it is equal to 1 we just will omit the coefficient. For example, the polynomial of the Boolean function disjunction of 2 variables given on Fig. 2 is 0+1.x1+1.x2+1.x2x1=x1+x2+x2x1.
fig.1 fig.2