A general approach to constructing power-sequence terraces for \(\mathbb Z_n\) (Q2470429)

A terrace is an arrangement \((a_1,a_2,\dots,a_m)\) of the elements of \(\mathbb Z_m\) such that the set of differences \(\pm(a_i-a_{i-1})\) covers each element of \(\mathbb Z_m\backslash \{0\}\) twice. The authors generalize some of their earlier results concerning terraces. They present a general power-sequence approach that yields terraces for \({\mathbb Z}_n\) for all odd primes less than 1000 except for 601. They note that this approach can be used for some groups \({\mathbb Z}_n\) with \(n=p^2\) or \(n=qs\), where \(p\) is an odd prime and \(q\), \(s\) are distinct primes greater than 3. Each new terrace has at least one segment consisting of succesive powers of 2, modulo \(n\). Reviewer's remark: Lemma 1.4 gives an iff-condition for certain numbers \(n\) to divide \(2^i+1\) for some integer \(i\). It is a special case of a more general result (Theorem 1 of the reviewer [Acta Arith. 80, No. 3, 197--212 (1997; Zbl 0884.11019)]) valid for every odd number \(n\).