Combinatorial structures in loops. II: Commutative inverse property cyclic neofields of prime-power order (Q1845885)

In this paper we construct a large family of commutative inverse property, cyclic (CIP) neofields of prime-power order. Our purpose in doing so is to produce a class of algebraic systems which shall be useful in certain combinatorial constructions. One of these constructions is that of power-residue difference sets in the additive loops of finite CIP neofields [see the authors, ``Combinatorial structures in loops. I: Difference sets in special cyclic neofields.'' J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 14, 149--166 (1973; Zbl 0255.05004)], which is a natural generalization of the corresponding constructions in the additive groups of finite fields [see \textit{E. Lehmer}, Can. J. Math. 5, 425--432 (1953; Zbl 0052.03904); the second author, Cyclotomy and difference sets. Chicago: Markham Publishing Company (1967; Zbl 0157.03301)]. Another is that of cyclic Steiner triple systems, i.e., Steiner triple systems with a cyclic group of automorphisms sharply transitive on elements, which is discussed in the last section of this paper. CIP neofields may be thought of as a first generalization of finite field in that they share all of the familiar properties of the fields with the possible exception of additive associativity. The present approach, accordingly, is to begin with a finite field and modify the additive structure thereon so as to preserve these properties. We show that the number of nonisomorphic CIP neofields of prime-power order \(v = p^\alpha\) goes to infinity with \(v\) and we exhibit proper (i.e., not the field) CIP neofields for every prime-power order \(v = p^\alpha\ge 11\) (every CIP neofield of order \(v<11\) is a field). For \(p=2\) the latter implies that there exists at least two non-isomorphic cyclic Steiner triple systems of order \(2^\alpha - 1\ge 15\).