Zero sum partition of abelian groups into sets of the same order and its applications (Q1700783)

Summary: We will say that an abelian group \(\Gamma\) of order \(n\) has the \(m\)-zero-sum-partition property (\(m\)-ZSP-property) if \(m\) divides \(n\), \(m\geq 2\) and there is a partition of \(\Gamma\) into pairwise disjoint subsets \(A_1, A_2,\ldots, A_t\), such that \(|A_i| = m\) and \(\sum_{a\in A_{i}}a = g_0\) for \(1 \leq i \leq t\), where \(g_0\) is the identity element of \(\Gamma\). In this paper we study the \(m\)-ZSP property of \(\Gamma\). We show that \(\Gamma\) has the \(m\)-ZSP property if and only if \(m\geq 3\) and \(|\Gamma|\) is odd or \(\Gamma\) has more than one involution. We will apply the results to the study of group distance magic graphs as well as to generalized Kotzig arrays.