In the past two decades, many researchers have studied {it index $2$} Gauss sums, where the group generated by the characteristic $p$ of the underling finite field is of index $2$ in the unit group of ${mathbb Z}/m{mathbb Z}$ for the order $m$ of the
multiplicative character involved. A complete solution to the problem of evaluating index $2$ Gauss sums was given by Yang and Xia~(2010). In particular, it is known that some nonzero integral powers of the Gauss sums in this case are in quadratic fields. On the other hand, Chowla~(1962), McEliece~(1974), Evans~(1977, 1981) and Aoki~(1997, 2004, 2012) studied {it pure} Gauss sums, some nonzero integral powers of which are in the field of rational numbers. In this paper, we study Gauss sums, some integral powers of which are in quadratic fields. This class of Gauss sums is a generalization of index $2$ Gauss sums and an extension of pure Gauss sums to quadratic fields.
Chowla~(1962), McEliece~(1974), Evans~(1977, 1981) and Aoki~(1997, 2004, 2012) studied Gauss sums, some integral powers of which are in the field of rational numbers. Such Gauss sums are called {it pure}. In particular, Aoki (2004) gave a necessary a
nd sufficient condition for a Gauss sum to be pure in terms of Dirichlet characters modulo the order of the multiplicative character involved. In this paper, we study pure Gauss sums with odd extension degree $f$ and classify them for $f=5,7,9,11,13,17,19,23$ based on Aokis theorem. Furthermore, we characterize a special subclass of pure Gauss sums in view of an application for skew Hadamard difference sets. Based on the characterization, we give a new construction of skew Hadamard difference sets from cyclotomic classes of finite fields.
Cameron-Liebler line classes were introduced in cite{CL}, and motivated by a question about orbits of collineation groups of $PG(3,q)$. These line classes have appeared in different contexts under disguised names such as Boolean degree one functions,
regular codes of covering radius one, and tight sets. In this paper we construct an infinite family of Cameron-Liebler line classes in $PG(3,q)$ with new parameter $x=(q+1)^2/3$ for all prime powers $q$ congruent to 2 modulo 3. The examples obtained when $q$ is an odd power of two represent the first infinite family of Cameron-Liebler line classes in $PG(3,q)$, $q$ even.
Davis and Jedwab (1997) established a great construction theory unifying many previously known constructions of difference sets, relative difference sets and divisible difference sets. They introduced the concept of building blocks, which played an i
mportant role in the theory. On the other hand, Polhill (2010) gave a construction of Paley type partial difference sets (conference graphs) based on a special system of building blocks, called a covering extended building set, and proved that there exists a Paley type partial difference set in an abelian group of order $9^iv^4$ for any odd positive integer $v>1$ and any $i=0,1$. His result covers all orders of nonelementary abelian groups in which Paley type partial difference sets exist. In this paper, we give new constructions of strongly regular Cayley graphs on abelian groups by extending the theory of building blocks. The constructions are large generalizations of Polhills construction. In particular, we show that for a positive integer $m$ and elementary abelian groups $G_i$, $i=1,2,ldots,s$, of order $q_i^4$ such that $2m,|,q_i+1$, there exists a decomposition of the complete graph on the abelian group $G=G_1times G_2times cdotstimes G_s$ by strongly regular Cayley graphs with negative Latin square type parameters $(u^2,c(u+1),- u+c^2+3 c,c^2+ c)$, where $u=q_1^2q_2^2cdots q_s^2$ and $c=(u-1)/m$. Such strongly regular decompositions were previously known only when $m=2$ or $G$ is a $p$-group. Moreover, we find one more new infinite family of decompositions of the complete graphs by Latin square type strongly regular Cayley graphs. Thus, we obtain many strongly regular graphs with new parameters.
Let $q$ be a prime power of the form $q=12c^2+4c+3$ with $c$ an arbitrary integer. In this paper we construct a difference family with parameters $(2q^2;q^2,q^2,q^2,q^2-1;2q^2-2)$ in ${mathbb Z}_2times ({mathbb F}_{q^2},+)$. As a consequence, by appl
ying the Wallis-Whiteman array, we obtain Hadamard matrices of order $4(2q^2+1)$ for the aforementioned $q$s.
We revisit the problem of constructing Menon-Hadamard difference sets. In 1997, Wilson and Xiang gave a general framework for constructing Menon-Hadamard difference sets by using a combination of a spread and four projective sets of type Q in ${mathr
m{PG}}(3,q)$. They also found examples of suitable spreads and projective sets of type Q for $q=5,13,17$. Subsequently, Chen (1997) succeeded in finding a spread and four projective sets of type Q in ${mathrm{PG}}(3,q)$ satisfying the conditions in the Wilson-Xiang construction for all odd prime powers $q$. Thus, he showed that there exists a Menon-Hadamard difference set of order $4q^4$ for all odd prime powers $q$. However, the projective sets of type Q found by Chen have automorphisms different from those of the examples constructed by Wilson and Xiang. In this paper, we first generalize Chens construction of projective sets of type Q by using `semi-primitive cyclotomic classes. This demonstrates that the construction of projective sets of type Q satisfying the conditions in the Wilson-Xiang construction is much more flexible than originally thought. Secondly, we give a new construction of spreads and projective sets of type Q in ${mathrm{PG}}(3,q)$ for all odd prime powers $q$, which generalizes the examples found by Wilson and Xiang. This solves a problem left open in Section 5 of the Wilson-Xiang paper from 1997.
In this paper, we obtain a number of new infinite families of Hadamard matrices. Our constructions are based on four new constructions of difference families with four or eight blocks. By applying the Wallis-Whiteman array or the Kharaghani array to
the difference families constructed, we obtain new Hadamard matrices of order $4(uv+1)$ for $u=2$ and $vin Phi_1cup Phi_2 cup Phi_3 cup Phi_4$; and for $uin {3,5}$ and $vin Phi_1cup Phi_2 cup Phi_3$. Here, $Phi_1={q^2:qequiv 1pmod{4}mbox{ is a prime power}}$, $Phi_2={n^4in mathbb{N}:nequiv 1pmod{2}} cup {9n^4in mathbb{N}:nequiv 1pmod{2}}$, $Phi_3={5}$ and $Phi_4={13,37}$. Moreover, our construction also yields new Hadamard matrices of order $8(uv+1)$ for any $uin Phi_1cup Phi_2$ and $vin Phi_1cup Phi_2 cup Phi_3$.
In this paper, we survey constructions of and nonexistence results on combinatorial/geometric structures which arise from unions of cyclotomic classes of finite fields. In particular, we survey both classical and recent results on difference sets rel
ated to cyclotomy, and cyclotomic constructions of sequences with low correlation. We also give an extensive survey of recent results on constructions of strongly regular Cayley graphs and related geometric substructures such as $m$-ovoids and $i$-tight sets in classical polar spaces.
In this paper, we generalize classical constructions of skew Hadamard difference families with two or four blocks in the additive groups of finite fields given by Szekeres (1969, 1971), Whiteman (1971) and Wallis-Whiteman (1972). In particular, we sh
ow that there exists a skew Hadamard difference family with $2^{u-1}$ blocks in the additive group of the finite field of order $q^e$ for any prime power $qequiv 2^u+1,({mathrm{mod, , }2^{u+1}})$ with $uge 2$ and any positive integer $e$. In the aforementioned work of Szekeres, Whiteman, and Wallis-Whiteman, the constructions of skew Hadamard difference families with $2^{u-1}$ ($u=2$ or $3$) blocks in $({mathbb F}_{q^e},+)$ depend on the exponent $e$, with $eequiv 1,2,$ or $3,({mathrm{mod, , }4})$ when $u=2$, and $eequiv 1,({mathrm{mod, , }2})$ when $u=3$, respectively. Our more general construction, in particular, removes the dependence on $e$. As a consequence, we obtain new infinite families of skew Hadamard matrices.
In this paper, we find regular or biregular Hadamard matrices with maximum excess by negating some rows and columns of known Hadamard matrices obtained from quadratic residues of finite fields. In particular, we show that if either $4m^2+4m+3$ or $2m
^2+2m+1$ is a prime power, then there exists a biregular Hadamard matrix of order $n=4(m^2+m+1)$ with maximum excess. Furthermore, we give a sufficient condition for Hadamard matrices obtained from quadratic residues being transformed to be regular in terms of four-class translation association schemes on finite fields.
