On Katz's $(A,B)$-exponential sums

Abstract

We deduce Katz's theorems for $(A,B)$-exponential sums over finite fields using $\ell$-adic cohomology and a theorem of Denef-Loeser, removing the hypothesis that $A+B$ is relatively prime to the characteristic $p$. In some degenerate cases, the Betti number estimate is improved using toric decomposition and Adolphson-Sperber's bound for the degree of $L$-functions. Applying the facial decomposition theorem in \cite{W1}, we prove that the universal family of $(A,B)$-polynomials is generically ordinary for its $L$-function when $p$ is in certain arithmetic progression.