Perfect difference systems of sets and Jacobi sums

AbstractA perfect (v,{ki∣1≤i≤s},ρ) difference system of sets (DSS) is a collection of s disjoint ki-subsets Di, 1≤i≤s, of any finite abelian group G of order v such that every non-identity element of G appears exactly ρ times in the multiset {a−b∣a∈Di,b∈Dj,1≤i≠j≤s}. In this paper, we give a necessary and sufficient condition in terms of Jacobi sums for a collection {Di∣1≤i≤s} defined in a finite field Fq of order q=ef+1 to be a perfect (q,{ki∣1≤i≤s},ρ)-DSS, where each Di is a union of cyclotomic cosets of index e (and the zero 0∈Fq). Also, we give numerical results for the cases e=2,3, and 4