On central difference sets in certain non-abelian 2-groups

In this note, we define the class of finite groups of Suzuki type, which are non-abelian groups of exponent 4 and class 2 with special properties. A group G of Suzuki type with |G|=2^2s always possesses a non-trivial difference set. We show that if s is odd, G possesses a central difference set, whereas if s is even, G has no non-trivial central difference set.     

New negative Latin square type partial difference sets in nonelementary abelian 2-groups and 3-groups

A partial difference set having parameters (n ², r(n − 1), n + r ² − 3r, r ² − r) is called a Latin square type partial difference set, while a partial difference set having parameters (n ², r(n + 1), − n + r ² + 3r, r ² + r) is called a negative Latin square type partial difference set. Nearly all known constructions of negative Latin square partial difference sets are in elementary abelian groups. In this paper, we develop three product theorems that construct negative Latin square type partial difference sets and Latin square type partial difference sets in direct products of abelian groups G and G′ when these groups have certain Latin square or negative Latin square type partial difference sets. Using these product theorems, we can construct negative Latin square type partial difference sets in groups of the form where the s _i are nonnegative integers and s ₀ + s ₁ ≥ 1. Another significant corollary to these theorems are constructions of two infinite families of negative Latin square type partial difference sets in 3-groups of the form for nonnegative integers s _i . Several constructions of Latin square type PDSs are also given in p-groups for all primes p. We will then briefly indicate how some of these results relate to amorphic association schemes. In particular, we construct amorphic association schemes with 4 classes using negative Latin square type graphs in many nonelementary abelian 2-groups; we also use negative Latin square type graphs whose underlying sets can be elementary abelian 3-groups or nonelementary abelian 3-groups to form 3-class amorphic association schemes.      

An exponent bound on skew Hadamard abelian difference sets

A difference setD in a groupG is called a skew Hadamard difference set (or an antisymmetric difference set) if and only ifG is the disjoint union ofD, D(^–1), and {1}, whereD(^–1)={d^–1|dD}. In this note, we obtain an exponent bound for non-elementary abelian groupG which admits a skew Hadamard difference set. This improves the bound obtained previously by Johnsen, Camion and Mann.     

On iterated difference sets in groups

We extend a result of Stewart, Tijdeman and Ruzsa on iterated difierence sequences to groups. We give a complete answer for abelian groups, and apart from a constant, we give the best estimate for non-abelian ones.     

On generalized perfect difference sets constructed from Sidon sets

Let $\mathbb{N}$ be the set of positive integers. For a nonempty set A of integers and every integer u, denote by $d_A(u)$ the number of $(a,a^{\prime })$ with $a,a^{\prime }\in A$ such that $u=a-a^{\prime }$. For a sequence S of positive integers, let $S(x)$ be the counting function of S. The set $A\subseteq \mathbb{N}$ is called a perfect difference set if $d_A(u)=1$ for every positive integer u. In 2008, Cilleruelo and Nathanson (2008) [4] constructed dense perfect difference sets from dense Sidon sets. In this paper, as a main result, we prove that: let $f:\mathbb{N}\to \mathbb{N}$ be an increasing function satisfying $f(n)\ge 2$ for any positive integer n, then for every Sidon set B and every function $\omega (x)\to \infty$, there exists a set $A\subseteq \mathbb{N}$ such that $d_A(u)=f(u)$ for every positive integer u and $B(x/3)-\omega (x)\le A(x)\le B(x/3)+\omega (x)$ for all $x\ge C_{f,B,\omega }$.     

On maximal abelian subgroups in finite 2-groups

We determine here up to isomorphism the structure of any finite nonabelian 2-group G in which every two distinct maximal abelian subgroups have cyclic intersection. We obtain five infinite classes of such 2-groups (Theorem 1.1). This solves for p = 2 the problem Nr. 521 stated by Berkovich (in preparation). The more general problem Nr. 258 stated by Berkovich (in preparation) about the structure of finite nonabelian p-groups G such that A ∩ B = Z(G) for every two distinct maximal abelian subgroups A and B is treated in Theorems 3.1 and 3.2. In Corollary 3.3 we get a new result for an arbitrary finite 2-group. As an application of Theorems 3.1 and 3.2, we solve for p = 2 a problem of Heineken-Mann (Problem Nr. 169 stated in Berkovich, in preparation), classifying finite 2-groups G such that A/Z(G) is cyclic for each maximal abelian subgroup A (Theorem 4.1).      

On affine difference sets and their multipliers

Let D be an affine difference set of order n in an abelian group G relative to a subgroup N. We denote by π(s) the set of primes dividing an integer and set H^∗=H?{ω}, where H=G/N and ω=∏_σ∈Hσ. In this article, using D we define a map g from H to N satisfying for iff {τ,τ⁻¹}={ρ,ρ⁻¹} and show that for any σ∈H^∗ and any integer m>0 with π(m)⊂π(n). This result is a generalization of J.C. Galati’s theorem on even order n [J.C. Galati, A group extensions approach to affine relative difference sets of even order, Discrete Mathematics 306 (2006) 42-51] and gives a new proof of a result of Arasu-Pott on the order of a multiplier modulo exp(H) ([K.T. Arasu, A. Pott, On quasi-regular collineation groups of projective planes, Designs Codes and Cryptography 1 (1991) 83-92] Section 5).     

Optimal difference systems of sets and difference sets

Difference systems of sets (DSSs) are combinatorial structures that are generalizations of cyclic difference sets and arise in connection with code synchronization. In this paper, we give a recursive construction of DSSs with smaller redundancy from partition-type DSSs and difference sets. As applications, we obtain some new infinite classes of optimal DSSs from the known difference sets and almost difference sets.     

On 2-groups with finite subgroups of rank 2

A classification is achieved of the 2-groups all of whose finite subgroups are generated by two elements.     

Sumsets in difference sets

We study some properties of sets of differences of dense sets in ℤ² and ℤ³ and their interplay with Bohr neighbourhoods in ℤ. We obtain, inter alia, the following results.

On abelian difference sets with multiplier — 1

Archiv der Mathematik -     

On indecomposable algebras of exponent 2

For any n ≥ 3 we give numerous examples of central division algebras of exponent 2 and index 2ⁿ over fields, which do not decompose into a tensor product of two nontrivial central division algebras, and which are sums of n + 1 quaternion algebras in the Brauer group of the field. Also, for any n ≥ 3 and any field k ₀ we construct an extension F/k ₀ and a multiquadratic extension L/F of degree 2ⁿ such that for any proper subextensions L ₁/F and L ₂/F