Three New Families of Zero-Difference Balanced Functions With Applications

Zero-difference balanced (ZDB) functions integrate a number of subjects in combinatorics and algebra, and have many applications in coding theory, cryptography, and communications engineering. In this paper, three new families of ZDB functions are presented. The first construction gives ZDB functions defined on the abelian groups (GF(
_q1
)×,...,×GF(
_qk
),+) with new and flexible parameters. The other two constructions are based on 2-cyclotomic cosets and yield ZDB functions on \BBZn with new parameters. The parameters of optimal constant composition codes, optimal, and perfect difference systems of sets obtained from these new families of ZDB functions are also summarized.