Stratification and averaging for exponential sums: bilinear forms with generalized Kloosterman sums

Abstract: We prove non-trivial bounds for bilinear forms with hyper-Kloosterman sums with characters modulo a prime $q$ which, for both variables of length $M$, are non-trivial as soon as $M\geq q^{3/8+\delta}$ for any $\delta>0$. This range, which matches Burgess's range, is identical with the best results previously known only for simpler exponentials of monomials. The proof combines refinements of the analytic tools from our previous paper and new geometric methods. The key geometric idea is a comparison statement that shows that even when the "sum-product" sheaves that appear in the analysis fail to be irreducible, their decomposition reflects that of the "input" sheaves, except for parameters in a high-codimension subset. This property is proved by a subtle interplay between \'etale cohomology in its algebraic and diophantine incarnations. We prove a first application concerning the first moment of a family of $L$-functions of degree $3$.