Ponomarenko's index conjecture for minimal zero-sum sequences

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Let GG be the cyclic group of order nn, and let SS be a minimal zero-sum sequence over GG of length 44. The index ind⁡(S)\operatorname{ind}(S) is the smallest number in

{1n∑j=1k(gaj)n:g∈(Z/n)∗},\left\{\frac{1}{n}\sum_{j=1}^{k}(ga_j)_n:g\in(\mathbb{Z}/n)^*\right\},

where (x)n(x)_n is the least non-negative integer congruent to xx modulo nn. The Index Conjecture. If gcd⁡(n,6)=1\gcd(n,6)=1, then every minimal zero-sum sequence SS over GG of length 44 has

ind⁡(S)=1.\operatorname{ind}(S)=1.

The conjecture concerns the pairs (k,n)(k,n) for which every minimal zero-sum sequence of length kk over a cyclic group of order nn has index 11. The cases k≤3k\leq 3 and k>n/2+1k>n/2+1 are known, while the case k=4k=4 is subtle; Ponomarenko verified this conjecture for n≤1000n\leq 1000.

References

Primary source

Fan Ge, “Solution to the index conjecture in zero-sum theory”, arXiv:2011.09521 (2020).

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