Resolvable Mendelsohn designs and finite Frobenius groups

We prove the existence and give constructions of a $(p(k)-1)$-fold perfect resolvable $(v, k, 1)$-Mendelsohn design for any integers $v > k \ge 2$ with $v \equiv 1 \mod k$ such that there exists a finite Frobenius group whose kernel $K$ has order $v$ and whose complement contains an element $\phi$ of order $k$, where $p(k)$ is the least prime factor of $k$. Such a design admits $K \rtimes \langle \phi \rangle$ as a group of automorphisms and is perfect when $k$ is a prime. As an application we prove that for any integer $v = p_{1}^{e_1} \ldots p_{t}^{e_t} \ge 3$ in prime factorization, and any prime $k$ dividing $p_{i}^{e_i} - 1$ for $1 \le i \le t$, there exists a resolvable perfect $(v, k, 1)$-Mendelsohn design that admits a Frobenius group as a group of automorphisms. We also prove that, if $k$ is even and divides $p_{i} - 1$ for $1 \le i \le t$, then there are at least $\varphi(k)^t$ resolvable $(v, k, 1)$-Mendelsohn designs that admit a Frobenius group as a group of automorphisms, where $\varphi$ is Euler's totient function.Comment: Final versio

Linear spaces with many small lines

AbstractIn this paper some of the work in linear spaces in which most of the lines have few points is surveyed. This includes existence results, blocking sets and embeddings. Also, it is shown that any linear space of order v can be embedded in a linear space of order about 13v in which there are no lines of size 2

Uniform hypergraphs containing no grids

A hypergraph is called an r×r grid if it is isomorphic to a pattern of r horizontal and r vertical lines, i.e.,a family of sets {A1, ..., Ar, B1, ..., Br} such that Ai∩Aj=Bi∩Bj=φ for 1≤i<j≤r and {pipe}Ai∩Bj{pipe}=1 for 1≤i, j≤r. Three sets C1, C2, C3 form a triangle if they pairwise intersect in three distinct singletons, {pipe}C1∩C2{pipe}={pipe}C2∩C3{pipe}={pipe}C3∩C1{pipe}=1, C1∩C2≠C1∩C3. A hypergraph is linear, if {pipe}E∩F{pipe}≤1 holds for every pair of edges E≠F.In this paper we construct large linear r-hypergraphs which contain no grids. Moreover, a similar construction gives large linear r-hypergraphs which contain neither grids nor triangles. For r≥. 4 our constructions are almost optimal. These investigations are motivated by coding theory: we get new bounds for optimal superimposed codes and designs. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Resolvability of infinite designs

In this paper we examine the resolvability of infinite designs. We show that in stark contrast to the finite case, resolvability for infinite designs is fairly commonplace. We prove that every t-(v,k,Λ) design with t finite, v infinite and k,λ<v is resolvable and, in fact, has α orthogonal resolutions for each α<v. We also show that, while a t-(v,k,Λ) design with t and λ finite, v infinite and k=v may or may not have a resolution, any resolution of such a design must have v parallel classes containing v blocks and at most λ−1 parallel classes containing fewer than v blocks. Further, a resolution into parallel classes of any specified sizes obeying these conditions is realisable in some design. When k<v and λ=v and when k=v and λ is infinite, we give various examples of resolvable and non-resolvable t-(v,k,Λ) designs

Properties of Steiner triple systems of order 21

Properties of the 62,336,617 Steiner triple systems of order 21 with a non-trivial automorphism group are examined. In particular, there are 28 which have no parallel class, six that are 4-chromatic, five that are 3-balanced, 20 that avoid the mitre, 21 that avoid the crown, one that avoids the hexagon and two that avoid the prism. All systems contain the grid. None have a block intersection graph that is 3-existentially closed.Comment: 12 page

Generalized packing designs

Generalized $t$-designs, which form a common generalization of objects such as $t$-designs, resolvable designs and orthogonal arrays, were defined by Cameron [P.J. Cameron, A generalisation of $t$-designs, \emph{Discrete Math.}\ {\bf 309} (2009), 4835--4842]. In this paper, we define a related class of combinatorial designs which simultaneously generalize packing designs and packing arrays. We describe the sometimes surprising connections which these generalized designs have with various known classes of combinatorial designs, including Howell designs, partial Latin squares and several classes of triple systems, and also concepts such as resolvability and block colouring of ordinary designs and packings, and orthogonal resolutions and colourings. Moreover, we derive bounds on the size of a generalized packing design and construct optimal generalized packings in certain cases. In particular, we provide methods for constructing maximum generalized packings with $t=2$ and block size $k=3$ or 4.Comment: 38 pages, 2 figures, 5 tables, 2 appendices. Presented at 23rd British Combinatorial Conference, July 201