On optimum time-hopping patterns

Time-hopping patterns can be constructed from simple difference sets. By studying such constructions, it has been proven that whenever n-2, n-1, or n+1 is a prime power, then time-hopping patterns that have n terms can be constructed and are of length less than n². By computation it is shown that such patterns can have length less than n²-n^1.44 for all n⩽150. It is also shown that time-hopping patterns for n terms can have length less than n²+O(n^1.55) for all n