A structure theorem for finite fields

Abstract: We present a new structure theorem for finite fields of odd order that relates multiplicative and additive structure in an interesting way. This theorem has several applications, including an improved understanding of Dickson and Chebyshev polynomials and some formulas with a number-theoretic flavor. This paper is an abridged version of two math arXiv articles by the author [arXiv:1707.06870, arXiv:1707.06877].