English

The triplication method for constructing strong starters

Combinatorics 2026-03-10 v1

Abstract

The triplication method for constructing strong starters in Z3mZ_{3m} from starters in ZmZ_{m} (say, a starter of order 21 from a starter of order 7) was proposed by the authors in 2025. The method reduced construction of the particular combinatorial design (a strong starter in a cyclic group) to solving a Sudoku-type problem -- an independent task with its own tools and techniques available. The Sudoku-type problem was formulated in terms of the so-called triplication table constructed from a starter of order mm. The method was applicable for odd orders m7m\ge 7 not divisible by 3. In the present paper, our previous approach is developed in two directions: (1) the definition of the triplication table is generalized, which expands possibilities for its construction to include three base starters or even ``pseudostarters''; (2) the formulation of the Sudoku-type problem is broadened to embrace various scenarios of ``modular encoding'' and reconstruction of strong starters from its solution. A theoretical gain of these developments consists in the improved understanding of the general structure of the triplication approach. A practical outcome is elimination of the requirement that mm be not divisible by 3. This leads to a broader scope of strong starters obtainable by triplication: any latent strong starter of odd order 3m3m can emerge this way.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.08381,
  title  = {The triplication method for constructing strong starters},
  author = {Oleg Ogandzhanyants and Sergey Sadov and Margo Kondratieva},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.08381},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

34 pages, 1 figure

R2 v1 2026-07-01T11:10:20.815Z