Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 27 (2024), Article 24.1.7

Zero-Sum Constants Related to the Jacobi Symbol


Santanu Mondal, Krishnendu Paul, and Shameek Paul
School of Mathematical Sciences
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute
West Bengal 711202
India

Abstract:

Let AZn be a subset. A sequence S = (x1, ..., xk) is said to be an A-weighted zero-sum sequence if there exist a1, ..., akA such that a1 x1 + ... + ak xk = 0. We refer to A as a weight-set. The A-weighted Davenport constant DA is defined to be the smallest natural number k such that every sequence of k elements in Zn has an A-weighted zero-sum subsequence. The constant CA is defined to be the smallest natural number k such that every sequence of k elements in Zn has an A-weighted zero-sum subsequence having consecutive terms.

When n is odd, let S(n) be the set of all units in Zn whose Jacobi symbol with respect to n is 1. We compute the constants CS(n) and DS(n). For a prime divisor p of n, we also compute these constants for a related weight-set L(n;p). This is the set of all units x in Zn such that the Jacobi symbol of x with respect to n is the same as the Legendre symbol of x with respect to p. We show that even though these weight-sets A may have half the size of U(n) (which is the set of units of Zn), the corresponding A-weighted constants are the same as those for the weight-set U(n).


Full version:  pdf,    dvi,    ps,    latex    



Received May 18 2023; revised versions received May 21 2023; November 29 2023. Published in Journal of Integer Sequences, January 14 2024.


Return to Journal of Integer Sequences home page