On complexes in a finite Abelian group. I (Q584397)

A motivation of this paper is given by the second author's work on ovals in finite projective planes [J. Geom. 30, 157-163 (1987; Zbl 0629.51017)]. Let G be a finite, additively written abelian group, let A, B, K be nonempty subsets of G. Put \(A+B=\{a+b|\) \(a\in A\), \(b\in B\}\), \(A\circ B=\{a+b|\) \(a\in A\), \(b\in B\), \(a\neq b\}\), \(| K| =k\) and \(| K\circ K| =m\). It is shown that (1) if \(k=m>4\) then there is a subgroup H of G, such that either K is a coset of H, or else H is elementary abelian and \(H=(K+g)\cup \{0\}\) for some \(g\in G\); (2) if \(K+K=K\circ K\) then either \(K+K\) is a coset of some subgroup of G, or 2m\(\geq 3k\). (The proof of (2) is given in a sequel of this paper [Proc. Japan Acad., Ser. A 64, No.8, 286-287 (1988; see the following review Zbl 0693.20023)].)