Multiple factorizations by cyclic subsets (Q915858)

Let G be a finite abelian group written additively and let \(A_ 1,...,A_ n\), B be subsets of G. If each element b of B is expressible in the form \(b=a_ 1+...+a_ n\), \(a_ 1\in A_ 1,...,a_ n\in A_ n\) precisely k ways and each sum \(a_ 1+....+a_ n\) belongs to B, then we say that B is k-factorized by \(A_ 1,...,A_ n\). Let g be a nonzero element of G and q be an integer less than or equal to the order of g. The set of elements 0,g,2g,...,(q-1)g is called a cyclic set. A (k,n)- factorization is a k-factorization of a finite abelian group by n cyclic subsets. A (k,n)-factorization is reducible if there is a subgroup among the factors and otherwise it is called irreducible. \textit{R. M. Robinson} gave all pairs (k,n) for which there exists an irreducible (k,n)-factorization. He also pointed out that finite cyclic groups have only reducible (k,n)-factorizations [Math. Z. 166, 225-264 (1979; Zbl 0398.52006)]. However, the problem of giving all groups which have irreducible (k,n)-factorizations remained unsolved. The author proves the following Theorem. Every finite abelian group except cyclic groups and groups of type \((p^ a,p,...,p)\), where p is a prime and a is a positive integer, has an irreducible (k,n)- factorization.