Uniqueness and explicit computation of mates in near-factorizations

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kreher, Donald L., Martin, William J., Stinson, Douglas R.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Kreher, Donald L.
Martin, William J.
Stinson, Douglas R.
author_facet Kreher, Donald L.
Martin, William J.
Stinson, Douglas R.
contents We show that a "mate'' $B$ of a set $A$ in a near-factorization $(A,B)$ of a finite group $G$ is unique. Further, we describe how to compute the mate $B$ very efficiently using an explicit formula for $B$. We use this approach to give an alternate proof of a theorem of Wu, Yang and Feng, which states that a strong circular external difference family cannot have more than two sets. We prove some new structural properties of near-factorizations in certain classes of groups. Then we examine all the noncyclic abelian groups of order less than $200$ in a search for a possible nontrivial near-factorization. All of these possibilities are ruled out, either by theoretical criteria or by exhaustive computer searches. (In contrast, near-factorizations in cyclic or dihedral groups are known to exist by previous results.) We also look briefly at nontrivial near-factorizations of index $λ> 1$ in noncyclic abelian groups. Various examples are found with $λ= 2$ by computer.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_15890
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Uniqueness and explicit computation of mates in near-factorizations
Kreher, Donald L.
Martin, William J.
Stinson, Douglas R.
Group Theory
Combinatorics
05B10
We show that a "mate'' $B$ of a set $A$ in a near-factorization $(A,B)$ of a finite group $G$ is unique. Further, we describe how to compute the mate $B$ very efficiently using an explicit formula for $B$. We use this approach to give an alternate proof of a theorem of Wu, Yang and Feng, which states that a strong circular external difference family cannot have more than two sets. We prove some new structural properties of near-factorizations in certain classes of groups. Then we examine all the noncyclic abelian groups of order less than $200$ in a search for a possible nontrivial near-factorization. All of these possibilities are ruled out, either by theoretical criteria or by exhaustive computer searches. (In contrast, near-factorizations in cyclic or dihedral groups are known to exist by previous results.) We also look briefly at nontrivial near-factorizations of index $λ> 1$ in noncyclic abelian groups. Various examples are found with $λ= 2$ by computer.
title Uniqueness and explicit computation of mates in near-factorizations
topic Group Theory
Combinatorics
05B10
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.15890