Simulated factorizations (Q1204549)

Factoring a finite abelian group by its subsets is a direct product of these subsets giving the group. The paradigmatic problem of the theory of factorization is to describe conditions under which a subgroup must occur among the factors. This paper introduces a new type of condition, and deals with factorizations of finite abelian groups in the following way. The authors start with a factorization into a direct product of subgroups and try to construct new factorizations by changing some elements of the factors. The first result states that there cannot be a change of precisely one element in each subgroup. Then the authors show that a corresponding result holds on replacing the group by a periodic subset. Next, the authors prove the following theorem: Let \(G=A_ 1A_ 2\dots A_ n\) be a normed factorization of the finite abelian group \(G\). If for each \(i\), \(1\leq i\leq n\), either \(| A_ i|\) is a prime or there is a subgroup \(H_ i\) of \(G\) with \(| A_ i|=| H_ i|\) and \(| A_ i\cap H_ i|\geq| A_ i|-1\), then one of the factors \(A_ i\) is a subgroup. This theorem is an extension of \textit{L. Rédei}'s theorem [Acta. Math. Acad. Sci. Hung. 16, 329-373 (1965; Zbl 0138.260)]. For cyclic groups, the authors get the following stronger result: for the cyclic group \(G\) one cannot obtain a factorization in which each factor differs from a subgroup in fewer than \(p\) elements without one factor being itself a subgroup. Here, \(p\) is the least prime factor of \(| G|\). This result also holds for factorization of a periodic subset of \(G\). In addition, the authors show that if \(G\) is cyclic and \(G=A_ 1\dots A_ m\) is a factorization, where either \(| A_ i|\) is a prime power or \(A_ i\) is constructed from a subgroup by changing fewer than \(p\) elements, then one of the subsets \(A_ i\) is periodic. Here, \(p\) is the least prime factor of \(| G |\). This result is an extension of \textit{A. D. Sands}' theorem [in Proc. Colloq. Abelian Groups 1964, 139-146 (1964; Zbl 0132.271)]. The same result holds for factorization of a periodic subset which is also a direct factor of \(G\). Finally, the authors prove the following theorem: Let \(G=A_ 1\dots A_ n\) be a normed factorization of the finite abelian group \(G\) and suppose that \(p\) is the least prime factor of \(| G|\). If for each \(i\) there exists a subgroup \(H_ i\) of \(G\) such that \(| A_ i|=| H_ i|<| A_ i\cap H_ i|+p\) and if \(| A_ 1|,\dots,| A_ n|\) are pairwise coprime then \(A_ i=H_ i\) for some \(i\).