Maximal (k, l)-free sets in ℤ/pℤ are arithmetic progressions

Abstract

Given two different positive integers k and l, a (k, l)-free set of some group (G, +) is defined as a set  ⊂ G such that k∩l = ∅. This paper is devoted to the complete determination of the structure of (k, l)-free sets of ℤ/pℤ (p an odd prime) with maximal cardinality. Except in the case where k = 2 and l = 1 (the so-called sum-free sets), these maximal sets are shown to be arithmetic progressions. This answers affirmatively a conjecture by Bier and Chin which appeared in a recent issue of this Bulletin.