The existence of howell designs of siden+1 and order 2n

AHowell design of side s andorder 2n, or more briefly, anH(s, 2n), is ans×s array in which each cell either is empty or contains an unordered pair of elements from some 2n-set, sayX, such that (a) each row and each column is Latin (that is, every element ofX is in precisely one cell of each row and each column) and (b) every unordered pair of elements fromX is in at most one cell of the array. Atrivial Howell design is anH(s, 0) havingX=? and consisting of ans×s array of empty cells. A necessary condition onn ands for the existence of a nontrivialH(s, 2n) is that 0<n≦s≦2n-1. AnH(n+t, 2n) is said to contain a maximum trivial subdesign if somet×t subarray is theH(t, 0). This paper describes a recursive construction for Howell designs containing maximum trivial subdesigns and applies it to settle the existence question forH(n+1, 2n)’s: forn+1 a positive integer, there is anH(n+1, 2n) if and only ifn+1 ∉ {2, 3, 5}.     

On a problem of Erdős and Larson

It is shown that a pairwise balanced design onn points in which each block is of size at leastn ^1/2 −c can be embedded in a projective plane of ordern+i for somei≦c + 2 ifn is sufficiently large. Among other things this implies that if the projective plane conjecture is true, the conjecture of Erdős and Larson will not be true. The paper was written during a visit of the second author to Mehta Research Institute, Allahabad.     

Properties of complete sets of mutually equiorthogonal frequency hypercubes

A complete set of mutually equiorthogonal frequency hypercubes (MEFH) of ordern and dimensiond, usingm distinct symbols, has (n−1) ^d /(m−1) hypercubes. In this article, we explore the properties of complete sets of MEFH. As a consequence of these properties, we show that existence of such a set implies that the number of symbolsm is a prime power. We also establish an equivalence between existence of a complete set of MEFH and existence of a certain complete set of Latin hypercubes and a certain complete orthogonal array.     

Simple minimum coverings ofK n with copies ofK 4 −e

Summary AK ₄–e design of ordern is a pair (S, B), whereB is an edge-disjoint decomposition ofK _n (the complete undirected graph onn vertices) with vertex setS, into copies ofK ₄–e, the graph on four vertices with five edges. It is well-known [1] thatK ₄–e designs of ordern exist for alln 0 or 1 (mod 5),n 6, and that if (S, B) is aK ₄–e design of ordern then |B| =n(n – 1)/10.Asimple covering ofK _n with copies ofK ₄–e is a pair (S, C) whereS is the vertex set ofK _n andC is a collection of edge-disjoint copies ofK ₄–e which partitionE(K_n)P, for some . Asimple minimum covering ofK _n (SMCK _n) with copies ofK ₄–e is a simple covering whereP consists of as few edges as possible. The collection of edgesP is called thepadding. Thus aK ₄–e design of ordern isSMCK _n with empty padding.We show that forn 3 or 8 (mod 10),n 8, the padding ofSMCK _n consists of two edges and that forn 2, 4, 7 or 9 (mod 10),n 9, the padding consists of four edges. In each case, the padding may be any of the simple graphs with two or four edges respectively. The smaller cases need separate treatment:SMCK ₅ has four possible paddings of five edges each,SMCK ₄ has two possible paddings of four edges each andSMCK ₇ has eight possible paddings of four edges each.The recursive arguments depend on two essential ingredients. One is aK ₄–e design of ordern with ahole of sizek. This is a triple (S, H, B) whereB is an edge-disjoint collection of copies ofK ₄–e which partition the edge set ofK _n\K_k, whereS is the vertex set ofK _n, and is the vertex set ofK _k. The other essential is acommutative quasigroup with holes. Here we letX be a set of size 2n 6, and letX = {x ₁, x₂, ..., x_n} be a partition ofX into 2-element subsets, calledholes of size two. Then a commutative quasigroup with holesX is a commutative quasigroup (X, ) such that for each holex _i X, (x_i, ) is a subquasigroup. Such quasigroups exist for every even order 2n 6 [4].     

K 1,p k-factorization of complete bipartite graphs

Abstract. In this paper, it is shown that a sufficient condition for the existence of a     

Maximum packings ofK n with copies ofK 4 − e

For eachn, we determine the maximum number of pairwise edge disjoint copies ofK ₄ – e inK _n , and all possible graphs that arise from the unused edges.     

P 3-factorization of complete multipartite graphs

In this note it is shown that a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a P3-factorizatlon of complete multipartite graph λK, is (1) m≥3, (2) mn≡0(mod 3) and (3)λ(m-1)n≡0(mod 4).     

Interpolation lattices in several variables

Principal lattices are classical simplicial configurations of nodes suitable for multivariate polynomial interpolation in n dimensions. A principal lattice can be described as the set of intersection points of n + 1 pencils of parallel hyperplanes. Using a projective point of view, Lee and Phillips extended this situation to n + 1 linear pencils of hyperplanes. In two recent papers, two of us have introduced generalized principal lattices in the plane using cubic pencils. In this paper we analyze the problem in n dimensions, considering polynomial, exponential and trigonometric pencils, which can be combined in different ways to obtain generalized principal lattices.We also consider the case of coincident pencils. An error formula for generalized principal lattices is discussed. Partially supported by the Spanish Research Grant BFM2003-03510, by Gobierno de Aragón and Fondo Social Europeo.     

Room designs and one-factorizations

The existence of a Room square of order 2n is known to be equivalent to the existence of two orthogonal one-factorizations of the complete graph on 2n vertices, where orthogonal means any two one-factors involved have at most one edge in common. DefineR(n) to be the maximal number of pairwise orthogonal one-factorizations of the complete graph onn vertices.The main results of this paper are bounds on the functionR. If there is a strong starter of order 2n–1 thenR(2n) 3. If 4n–1 is a prime power, it is shown thatR(4n) 2n–1. Also, the recursive construction for Room squares, to obtain, a Room design of sidev(u – w) +w from a Room design of sidev and a Room design of sideu with a subdesign of sidew, is generalized to sets ofk pairwise orthogonal factorizations. It is further shown thatR(2n) 2n–3.     

On linear spaces and matroids of arbitrary cardinality

In this paper, we study linear spaces of arbitrary finite dimension on some (possibly infinite) set. We interpret linear spaces as simple matroids and study the problem of erecting some linear space of dimension n to some linear space of dimension n + 1 if possible. Several examples of some such erections are studied; in particular, one of these erections is computed within some infinite iteration process.Dedicated to the memory of Gian-Carlo Rota     

The number oft-wise balanced designs

We prove that the number oft-wise balanced designs of ordern is asymptotically , provided that blocks of sizet are permitted. In the process, we prove that the number oft-profiles (multisets of block sizes) is bounded below by and above by for constants c₂>c₁>0.     

Equiarboreal graphs

A graphX is said to beequiarboreal if the number of spanning trees containing a specified edge inX is independent of the choice of edge. We prove that any graph which is a colour class in an association scheme (and thus any distance regular graph) is equiarboreal. We note that a connected equiarboreal graph withM edges andn vertices has edge-connectivity at leastM/(n−1).     

Ann-dimensional search problem with restricted questions

The problem is the following: How many questions are necessary in the worst case to determine whether a pointX in then-dimensional Euclidean spaceR ⁿ belongs to then-dimensional unit cubeQ ⁿ, where we are allowed to ask which halfspaces of (n−1)-dimensional hyperplanes contain the pointX? It is known that ⌌3n/2⌍ questions are sufficient. We prove here thatcn questions are necessary, wherec≈1.2938 is the solution of the equationx log₂ x−(x−1) log₂ (x−1)=1.     

On the curvatures of bounded complete spacelike hypersurfaces in the Lorentz–Minkowski space

In this paper we characterize the spacelike hyperplanes in the Lorentz–Minkowski space L ^{n +1} as the only complete spacelike hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature which are bounded between two parallel spacelike hyperplanes. In the same way, we prove that the only complete spacelike hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature in L ^{n +1} which are bounded between two concentric hyperbolic spaces are the hyperbolic spaces. Finally, we obtain some a priori estimates for the higher order mean curvatures, the scalar curvature and the Ricci curvature of a complete spacelike hypersurface in L ^{n +1} which is bounded by a hyperbolic space. Our results will be an application of a maximum principle due to Omori and Yau, and of a generalization of it. Received: 5 July 1999     

The Doyen-Wilson theorem for kite systems

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given to embed a kite system of order n into a kite system of order m.     

Symmetric designs with bruck subdesigns

IfP is a finite projective plane of ordern with a proper subplaneQ of orderm which is not a Baer subplane, then a theorem of Bruck [Trans. AMS 78(1955), 464–481] asserts thatn≧m ²+m. If the equalityn=m ²+m were to occur thenP would be of composite order andQ should be called a Bruck subplane. It can be shown that if a projective planeP contains a Bruck subplaneQ, then in factP contains a designQ′ which has the parameters of the lines in a three dimensional projective geometry of orderm. A well known scheme of Bruck suggests using such aQ′ to constructP. Bruck’s theorem readily extends to symmetric designs [Kantor, Trans. AMS 146 (1969), 1–28], hence the concept of a Bruck subdesign. This paper develops the analoque ofQ′ and shows (by example) that the analogous construction scheme can be used to find symmetric designs.     

Cyclic polytopes, hyperplanes, and Gray codes

We consider cyclic d-polytopes P that are realizable with vertices on the moment curve $M_d:t\longrightarrow (t,t^2,\ldots,t^d)$ of order $d\geq 3$. A hyperplane H bisects a j-face of P if H meets its relative interior. For $\ell\geq 1$, we investigate the maximum number of vertices that P can have so that for some $\ell$ hyperplanes, each j-face of P is bisected by one of the hyperplanes. For $\ell > 1$, the problem translates to the existence of certain codes, or equivalently, certain paths on the cube $\{0,1\}^\ell$.     

Skew-symmetric association schemes with two classes and strongly regular graphs of type L 2n−1(4n−1)

A construction of a pair of strongly regular graphs ⁿ and ⁿ of type L _2n–1(4n–1) from a pair of skew-symmetric association schemes W, W of order 4n–1 is presented. Examples of graphs with the same parameters as ⁿ and ⁿ, i.e., of type L _2n–1(4n–1), were known only if 4n–1=p ³, where p is a prime. The first new graph appearing in the series has parameters (v, k, )=(225, 98, 45). A 4-vertex condition for relations of a skew-symmetric association scheme (very similar to one for the strongly regular graphs) is introduced and is proved to hold in any case. This has allowed us to check the 4-vertex condition for ⁿ and ⁿ, thus to prove that ⁿ and ⁿ are not rank three graphs if n>2.     

Generalized Poincaré series for models¶of the braid arrangements

Let be the complexified Coxeter arrangement of hyperplanes of type A _{n −1} (n≥ 3). It is well known that the “minimal” projective De Concini–Procesi model of is isomorphic to the moduli space of stable n plus;1-pointed curves of genus 0. In this paper we study, from the point of view of models of arrangements, the action of the symmetric group Σ _n on the integer cohomology ring of . In fact we find a formula for the generalized Poincaré series which encodes all the information about this representation of Σ _n . This formula, which is obtained by using the elementary combinatorial properties of a ℤ-basis of and turns out to be very direct, should be compared with a more general result due to Getzler (see [5]). Received: 24 November 1997 / Revised version: 23 April 1998     

Incidence and Combinatorial Properties of Linear Complexes

In this paper a generalisation of the notion of polarity is exhibited which allows to completely describe, in an incidence-geometric way, the linear complexes of h-subspaces. A generalised polarity is defined to be a partial map which maps (h−1)-subspaces to hyperplanes, satisfying suitable linearity and reciprocity properties. Generalised polarities with the null property give rise to linear complexes and vice versa. Given that there exists for h > 1 a linear complex of h-subspaces which contains no star – this seems to be an open problem over an arbitrary ground field – the combinatorial structure of a partition of the line set of the projective space into non-geometric spreads of its hyperplanes can be obtained. This line partition has an additional linearity property which turns out to be characteristic. Received: December 3, 2007. Revised: December 13, 2007.