A generalization of Schönemann's theorem via a graph theoretic method

Abstract

Recently, Grynkiewicz et al. [{\it Israel J. Math.} {\bf 193} (2013), 359--398], using tools from additive combinatorics and group theory, proved necessary and sufficient conditions under which the linear congruence $a_1x_1+\cdots +a_kx_k\equiv b \pmod{n}$, where $a_1,\ldots,a_k,b,n$ ($n\geq 1$) are arbitrary integers, has a solution $\langle x_1,\ldots,x_k \rangle \in \Z_{n}^k$ with all $x_i$ distinct. So, it would be an interesting problem to give an explicit formula for the number of such solutions. Quite surprisingly, this problem was first considered, in a special case, by Schönemann almost two centuries ago(!) but his result seems to have been forgotten. Schönemann [{\it J. Reine Angew. Math.} {\bf 1839} (1839), 231--243] proved an explicit formula for the number of such solutions when $b=0$, $n=p$ a prime, and $\sum_{i=1}^k a_i \equiv 0 \pmod{p}$ but $\sum_{i \in I} a_i \not\equiv 0 \pmod{p}$ for all $\emptyset \not= I\varsubsetneq \lbrace 1, \ldots, k\rbrace$. In this paper, we generalize Schönemann's theorem using a result on the number of solutions of linear congruences due to D. N. Lehmer and also a result on graph enumeration. This seems to be a rather uncommon method in the area; besides, our proof technique or its modifications may be useful for dealing with other cases of this problem (or even the general case) or other relevant problems.