New spence difference sets (Q6994737)

If \(G\) is a finite group of order \(v\) and \(D\) is a \(k\)-subset with the property that every nonidentity element \(g \in G\) has exactly \(\lambda\) representations of the form \(g=x_1x_2^{-1}, x_1, x_2^{-1}\in D\), then \(D\) is called a \((v, k, \lambda)\)-difference set in \(G\).\N\NA useful characterization of difference sets is the following equation in the group ring \(Z[G]\), where in this equation we use the conventions that \[ G:=\sum\limits_{g\in G} g, ~~ D:=\sum\limits_{x\in D} x,~~ D^{-1}:= \sum\limits_{x \in D} x^{-1},\] and \(1_G\) is the identity element of \(G\) as a group ring element:\N\[\NDD^{-1}=(k-\lambda)1_G + \lambda G.\N\]\NIf \(G\) is a group of order \(mn\) with a (typically although not necessarily normal) subgroup \(N\) of order \(n\) and a \(k\)-subset \(R\) that satisfies the group ring equation\N\[\NR R^{-1}=k1_G + \lambda(G-N),\N\]\Nthen \(R\) is called an \((m, n, k, \lambda)\)-relative difference set relative to \(N\).\N\NDifference sets are often classified into families based on their parameters. When gcd\((v, k-\lambda) > 1\), the known examples include Hadamard, McFarland, Spence, Davis-Jedwab, and Chen. In this paper, the authors focus on the Spence family, the members of which have parameters \(\left( \frac{3^{d+1}(3^{d+1}-1}{2}, \frac{3^{d}(3^{d+1}-1}{2}, \frac{3^{d}(3^{d}-1}{2}\right)\).\N\NIn this paper, the authors first prove that there exists at least one member of the Spence family with a noncentral Sylow 3-subgroup for every \(d \geq 1\). Further, they summarize the known results regarding the (36, 15, 6)-difference sets, highlighting a particular group whose Spence difference sets arise not from a ``hyperplane construction'' but from a similar construction involving \((3, 3, 3, 1)\)-relative difference sets. They present an example of a \((351, 126, 45)\)-difference set with a non-normal, nonabelian Sylow 3-subgroup with exponent \(9\) that is related to \((3, 3, 3, 1)\)-relative difference sets, illustrating the promise in using relative difference sets analogously to hyperplanes in constructions.