Multiplicative subgroups are not restricted sumsets
Number Theory
2026-07-28 v1 Combinatorics
Abstract
We determine exactly which proper multiplicative subgroups of a prime field can be represented as a restricted sumset of the form . We prove that a proper multiplicative subgroup cannot satisfy whenever , and that this threshold is sharp. In fact, such a decomposition exists precisely when , and we classify all decompositions in these exceptional cases. This gives a sharp, complete resolution of the restricted-sumset analogue of the generalized S\'ark\"ozy conjecture over prime fields. This significantly extends and refines previous results of Shkredov and Yip.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.25711,
title = {Multiplicative subgroups are not restricted sumsets},
author = {Chi Hoi Yip and Semin Yoo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.25711},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
22 pages