  In this article we aim to develop from first principles a theory of sum sets
and partial sum sets, which are defined analogously to difference sets and
partial difference sets. We obtain non-existence results and characterisations.
In particular, we show that any sum set must exhibit higher-order regularity
and that an abelian sum set is necessarily a reversible difference set. We next
develop several general construction techniques under the hypothesis that the
over-riding group contains a normal subgroup of order 2. Finally, by exploiting
properties of dihedral groups and Frobenius groups, several infinite classes of
sum sets and partial sum sets are introduced.
