When are subset sums equidistributed modulo \(m\)? (Q1346722)

Summary: For a triple \((n,t,m)\) of positive integers, we attach to each \(t\)-subset \(S= \{a_ 1,\dots, a_ t\} \subseteq \{1,\dots, n\}\) the sum \(f(S)= a_ 1+ \cdots+ a_ t\) (modulo \(m\)). We ask: for which triple \((n,t,m)\) are the \(\left( \begin{smallmatrix} n\\ t\end{smallmatrix} \right)\) values of \(f(S)\) uniformly distributed in the residue classes \(\text{mod } m\)? The obvious necessary condition, that \(m\) divides \(\left( \begin{smallmatrix} n\\ t\end{smallmatrix} \right)\), is not sufficient, but a \(q\)-analogue of that condition is both necessary and sufficient, namely: \[ {\textstyle {{q^ m-1} \over {q-1}}} \quad \text{divides the Gaussian polynomial} \quad \left( \begin{smallmatrix} n\\ t\end{smallmatrix} \right)_ q. \] We show that this condition is equivalent to: for each divisor \(d>1\) of \(m\), we have \(t\bmod d>n\bmod d\). Two proofs are given, one by generating functions and another via a bijection. We study the analogous question on the full power set of \([n]\): given \((n,m)\); when are the \(2^ n\) subset sums modulo \(m\) equidistributed into the residue classes? Finally, we obtain some asymptotic information about the distribution when it is not uniform, and discuss some open questions.