Factoring by cyclic and simulated subsets (Q1977418)

Let \(G\) be a finite Abelian group and \(A_1,\dots,A_n\) subsets of \(G\). If the product \(A_1\cdots A_n\) is direct and gives \(G\), then we say that the equation \(G=A_1\cdots A_n\) is a factorization of \(G\). A subset \(A\) of \(G\) is periodic if there is an \(a\in G\), \(a\neq 1\) with \(Aa=A\) and simulated if there is a subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) for which \(|A|=|H|\geq 3\) and \(|A\cap H|\geq|A|-1\) (in this paper \(|A|=|H|\) is an odd prime). So, the main result of this paper is: Let \(G\) be a finite Abelian group that is a direct product of elementary \(p\)-groups. Let \(G=B\cdot A_1\cdots A_n\) be a factorization of \(G\), where each \(|A_i|\) is a prime, \(|B|\) is a product of two primes, and each \(A_i\) is either cyclic or simulated. Then at least one of the factors is periodic.