Proof of a Conjecture on the Sequence of Exceptional Numbers, Classifying Cyclic Codes and APN Functions

We prove a conjecture that classifies exceptional numbers. This conjecture arises in two different ways, from cryptography and from coding theory. An odd integer $t\geq 3$ is said to be exceptional if $f(x)=x^t$ is APN (Almost Perfect Nonlinear) over $\mathbb{F}_{2^n}$ for infinitely many values of $n$. Equivalently, $t$ is exceptional if the binary cyclic code of length $2^n-1$ with two zeros $\omega, \omega^t$ has minimum distance 5 for infinitely many values of $n$. The conjecture we prove states that every exceptional number has the form $2^i+1$ or $4^i-2^i+1$.