New Nonexistence Results on Circulant Weighing Matrices

A circulant weighing matrix $W = (w_{i,j})$ is a square matrix of order $n$ and entries $w_{i,j}$ in $\{0, \pm 1\}$ such that $WW^T=kI_n$. In his thesis, Strassler gave a table of existence results for such matrices with $n \leq 200$ and $k \leq 100$. In the latest version of Strassler's table given by Tan \cite{arXiv:1610.01914} there are 34 open cases remaining. In this paper we give nonexistence proofs for 12 of these cases, report on preliminary searches outside Strassler's table, and characterize the known proper circulant weighing matrices.Comment: 15 page

A Nonexistence Result for Abelian Menon Difference Sets Using Perfect Binary Arrays

A Menon difference set has the parameters (4N2, 2N2-N, N2-N). In the abelian case it is equivalent to a perfect binary array, which is a multi-dimensional matrix with elements ±1 such that all out-of-phase periodic autocorrelation coefficients are zero. Suppose that the abelian group H×K×Zpα contains a Menon difference set, where p is an odd prime, |K|=pα, and pj≡−1 (mod exp (H)) for some j. Using the viewpoint of perfect binary arrays we prove that K must be cyclic. A corollary is that there exists a Menon difference set in the abelian group H×K×Z3α, where exp (H)=2 or 4 and |K|=3α, if and only if K is cyclic

New Constructions of Menon Difference Sets

Menon difference sets have parameters (4N2, 2N2 − N, N2 − N). These have been constructed for N = 2a3b, 0 ⩽ a,b, but the only known constructions in abelian groups require that the Sylow 3-subgroup be elementary abelian (there are some nonabelian examples). This paper provides a construction of difference sets in higher exponent groups, and this provides new examples of perfect binary arrays

Some Non-Existence Results on Divisible Difference Sets

In this paper, we shall prove several non-existence results for divisible difference sets, using three approaches: (i) character sum arguments similar to the work of Turyn [25] for ordinary difference sets, (ii) involution arguments, and (iii) multipliers in conjunction with results on ordinary difference sets. Among other results, we show that an abelian affine difference set of odd order s (s not a perfect square) in G can exist only if the Sylow 2-subgroup of G is cyclic. We also obtain a non-existence result for non-cyclic (n, n, n, 1) relative difference sets of odd order n

A Note on Intersection Numbers of Difference Sets

We present a condition on the intersection numbers of difference sets which follows from a result of Jungnickel and Pott [3]. We apply this condition to rule out several putative (non-abelian) difference sets and to correct erroneous proofs of Lander [4] for the nonexistence of (352, 27, 2)- and (122, 37, 12)-difference sets

A Note on Intersection Numbers of Difference Sets

We present a condition on the intersection numbers of difference sets which follows from a result of Jungnickel and Pott [3]. We apply this condition to rule out several putative (non-abelian) difference sets and to correct erroneous proofs of Lander [4] for the nonexistence of (352, 27, 2)- and (122, 37, 12)-difference sets

On circulant and two-circulant weighing matrices

We employ theoretical and computational techniques to construct new weighing matrices constructed from two circulants. In particular, we construct W(148, 144), W(152, 144), W(156, 144) which are listed as open in the second edition of the Handbook of Combinatorial Designs. We also fill a missing entry in Strassler’s table with answer “YES”, by constructing a circulant weighing matrix of order 142 with weight 100

Exponent Bounds for a Family of Abelian Difference Sets

Which groups G contain difference sets with the parameters (v, k, λ)= (q3 + 2q2 , q2 + q, q), where q is a power of a prime p? Constructions of K. Takeuchi, R.L. McFarland, and J.F. Dillon together yield difference sets with these parameters if G contains an elementary abelian group of order q2 in its center. A result of R.J. Turyn implies that if G is abelian and p is self-conjugate modulo the exponent of G, then a necessary condition for existence is that the exponent of the Sylow p-subgroup of G be at most 2q when p = 2 and at most q if p is an odd prime. In this paper we lower these exponent bounds when q ≠ p by showing that a difference set cannot exist for the bounding exponent values of 2q and q. Thus if there exists an abelian (96, 20, 4)-difference set, then the exponent of the Sylow 2-subgroup is at most 4. We also obtain some nonexistence results for a more general family of (v, k, λ)-parameter values