Decomposition of \(K_n\) into circuits of odd length (Q1239166)

Let \(K_n^*\) denote the complete symmetric directed graph of order \(n\). A \(k\)-circuit of a directed graph \(D\) is a directed circuit of \(D\) of length \(k\), i.e., a sequence \(v_o,v_1,\dots,v_{k-i},v_k =v_0\) of vertices of \(D\) such that \((v_i,v_{i+1})\) is an arc of \(D\), \(0\leq i\leq k-1\), and such that the vertices \(v_o,v_1,\dots,v_{k_1}\) are distinct. It is clear that a necessary condition for \(K_n^*\) to be decomposed into (arc-disjoint) \(k\)-circuits is that \(n\geq k\) and \(n(n-1)\equiv 0 (\text{mod }k)\). Furthermore, it has been conjectured that this condition is sufficient except for \(n= 4 =k, n= 6 =k, n=6 \text{ and } k =3\). It is shown here that \(K_n^*\): can be decomposed into \(k\)-circuits, \(k\) odd and \(k\geq 5\), if \(n\equiv 0 \text{ or } 1 (\text{mod }k)\).