Factoring by subsets of cardinality prime or four (Q1322520)

The following theorem is proved: Let \(G\) be a finite abelian group whose 2-component is elementary and let \(G=A_ 1\dots A_ n\) be a normed factorization, where \(| A_ i|=4\) or \(| A_ i|\) is a prime for each \(i\), \(1\leq i\leq n\). Then at least one of the factors is periodic. This result is a common generalization of Rédei's theorem and a theorem of A. D. Sands and S. Szabó.