Trend-resistant design of experiments under budget constraints.

Abstract

When experiments are to be performed in a time sequence, the observed responses are affected by a time trend. The construction of trend-resistant run orders is extensively described in the literature. However, run orders that are optimally balanced for time trends usually involve huge costs and they are often of low practical value in view of economical considerations. This paper presents a design algorithm for the construction of trend-resistant run orders under budget constraints. The algorithm offers the experimenter a general method for solving a wide range of practical design problems.