Linear complexity profile of m-ary pseudorandom sequences with small correlation measure

AbstractWe estimate the linear complexity profile of m-ary sequences in terms of their correlation measure, which was introduced by Mauduit and Sárközy. For prime m this is a direct extension of a result of Brandstätter and the second author. For composite m, we define a new correlation measure for m-ary sequences, relate it to the linear complexity profile and estimate it in terms of the original correlation measure. We apply our results to sequences of discrete logarithms modulo m and to quaternary sequences derived from two Legendre sequences