The higher-rank square-modulus conjecture for transversal difference numbers

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Let pp be an odd prime and let r≥1r\geq 1. Set

G=(Z/p2Z)r,H=p(Z/p2Z)r.G=(\mathbb Z/p^2\mathbb Z)^r,\qquad H=p(\mathbb Z/p^2\mathbb Z)^r.

For a transversal TT of G/HG/H, write D(T)=T−TD(T)=T-T and define

δ(G,H)=min⁡T∣D(T)∣.\delta(G,H)=\min_T |D(T)|.

Higher-rank square-modulus conjecture. For every odd prime pp and every r≥1r\geq 1,

δ((Z/p2Z)r,p(Z/p2Z)r)=(2p−1)r.\delta\bigl((\mathbb Z/p^2\mathbb Z)^r,p(\mathbb Z/p^2\mathbb Z)^r\bigr)=(2p-1)^r.

The case r=2r=2 is the central odd square-plane problem, for which the paper proves only a weaker lower bound. The asserted formula is suggested by the coordinate box and remains open in higher rank.

References

Primary source

Mugurel Barcau, Vicenţiu Paşol and George C. Ţurcaş, “Transversal Difference Numbers in Finite Abelian Quotients”, arXiv:2606.27961 (2026).

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