Journal of the Ramanujan Mathematical Society
Volume 36, Issue 3, September 2021 pp. 179–191.
On a problem in additive number theory
Authors:
Mohan Chintamani, Shanta Laishram and Prabal Paul
Author institution:School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
Summary:
Let A be a non-empty subset of a finite abelian group G. For
x ∈ G, let r{A - A} (x) = # {(a,a') ∈ A × A: x = a - a'} the
number of representations of x as a difference of two elements
from A. Lev \cite{Lev} proposed the following problem: if
r{A-A}(x) ≥ {|A|}/{2}, ∀ x ∈ A - A, is it
necessarily true that A - A is either a subgroup or a union of
three cosets of a subgroup? By an example, we illustrate that the
problem has negative answer for a non cyclic group G. We give an
affirmative answer to this problem for a large class of subsets
A of a cyclic group G.
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