Steiner triple systems of order 19 and 21 with subsystems of order 7

Steiner triple systems (STSs) with subsystems of order 7 are classified. For order 19, this classification is complete, but for order 21 it is restricted to Wilson-type systems, which contain three subsystems of order 7 on disjoint point sets. The classified STSs of order 21 are tested for resolvability; none of them is doubly resolvable.     

Overlarge sets of disjoint Steiner quadruple systems

In this article, we construct overlarge sets of disjoint S(3, 4, 3ⁿ − 1) and overlarge sets of disjoint S(3, 4, 3ⁿ + 1) for all n ≥ 2. Up to now, the only known infinite sequence of overlarge sets of disjoint S(3, 4, v) were the overlarge sets of disjoint S(3, 4, 2ⁿ) obtained from the oval conics of desarguesian projective planes of order 2ⁿ. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Design 7: 311–315, 1999     

Existence of 3‐chromatic Steiner quadruple systems

A Steiner quadruple system of order v (briefly SQS (v)) is a pair (X, ), where X is a v‐element set and is a set of 4‐element subsets of X (called blocks or quadruples), such that each 3‐element subset of X is contained in a unique block of . The chromatic number of an SQS(v)(X, ) is the smallest m for which there is a map such that for all , where . The system (X, ) is equitably m‐chromatic if there is a proper coloring with minimal m for which the numbers differ from each other by at most 1. Linek and Mendelsohn showed that an equitably 3‐chromatic SQS(v) exists for v ≡ 4, 8, 10 (mod 12), v ≥ 16. In this article we show that an equitably 3‐chromatic SQS(v) exists for v ≡ 2 (mod 12) with v > 2. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 469–477, 2007     

Constructions for rotational Steiner quadruple systems

A direct construction for rotational Steiner quadruple systems of order p+ 1 having a nontrivial multiplier automorphism is presented, where p≡13 (mod24) is a prime. We also give two improved product constructions. By these constructions, the known existence results of rotational Steiner quadruple systems are extended. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 17: 353–368, 2009     

The Steiner triple systems of order 19

Using an orderly algorithm, the Steiner triple systems of order are classified; there are pairwise nonisomorphic such designs. For each design, the order of its automorphism group and the number of Pasch configurations it contains are recorded; of the designs are anti-Pasch. There are three main parts of the classification: constructing an initial set of blocks, the seeds; completing the seeds to triple systems with an algorithm for exact cover; and carrying out isomorph rejection of the final triple systems. Isomorph rejection is based on the graph canonical labeling software nauty supplemented with a vertex invariant based on Pasch configurations. The possibility of using the (strongly regular) block graphs of these designs in the isomorphism tests is utilized. The aforementioned value is in fact a lower bound on the number of pairwise nonisomorphic strongly regular graphs with parameters .

     

An improved product construction of rotational Steiner quadruple systems

An improved product construction is presented for rotational Steiner quadruple systems. Direct constructions are also provided for small orders. It is known that the existence of a rotational Steiner quadruple system of order υ+1 implies the existence of an optimal optical orthogonal code of length υ with weight four and index two. New infinite families of orders are also obtained for both rotational Steiner quadruple systems and optimal optical orthogonal codes. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 10: 433–443, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/jcd.10025     

An improved recursive construction for disjoint Steiner quadruple systems

Let $D\left(n\right)$ be the number of pairwise disjoint Steiner quadruple systems (SQS) of order $n$. A simple counting argument shows that $D\left(n\right)\le n?3$ and a set of $n?3$ such systems is called a large set. No nontrivial large set was constructed yet, although it is known that they exist if  $n\equiv 2$ or $4\left(\mathrm{mod}6\right)$ is large enough. When $n\ge 7$ and $n\equiv 1$ or $5\left(\mathrm{mod}6\right)$, we present a recursive construction and prove a recursive formula on $D\left(4n\right)$, as follows: $$D\left(4n\right)\ge 2n+\min \left\{D\left(2n\right),2n?7\right\}.$$ The related construction has a few advantages over some of the previously known constructions for pairwise disjoint SQSs.     

On orthogonal resolutions of the classical Steiner quadruple system SQS(16)

A Steiner quadruple system SQS(16) is a pair where V is a 16-set of objects and is a collection of 4-subsets of V, called blocks, so that every 3-subset of V is contained in exactly one block. By classical is meant the boolean quadruple system, also known as the affine geometry AG(4,2). A parallel class is a collection of four blocks which partition V. The system possesses a resolution or parallelism, since can be partitioned into 35 parallel classes. Two resolutions are called orthogonal when each parallel class of one resolution has at most one block in common with each parallel class of the other resolution. We prove that there are at most nine further resolutions which, together with the classical one, are pairwise orthogonal.      

Steiner triple systems with two disjoint subsystems

It is shown that there exists a triangle decomposition of the graph obtained from the complete graph of order v by removing the edges of two vertex disjoint complete subgraphs of orders u and w if and only if u,w, and v are odd, (mod 3), and . Such decompositions are equivalent to group divisible designs with block size 3, one group of size u, one group of size w, and v – u – w groups of size 1. This result settles the existence problem for Steiner triple systems having two disjoint specified subsystems, thereby generalizing the well‐known theorem of Doyen and Wilson on the existence of Steiner triple systems with a single specified subsystem. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs     

Constructions for cyclic 3‐designs and improved results on cyclic Steiner quadruple systems

This paper gives some recursive constructions for cyclic 3‐designs. Using these constructions we improve Grannell and Griggs's construction for cyclic Steiner quadruple systems, and many known recursive constructions for cyclic Steiner quadruple systems are unified. Finally, some new infinite families of cyclic Steiner quadruple systems are obtained. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 19:178‐201, 2011     

Some new perfect Steiner triple systems

In a Steiner triple system STS(v) = (V, B), for each pair {a, b} ⊂ V, the cycle graph G_a,b can be defined as follows. The vertices of G_a,b are V \ {a, b, c} where {a, b, c} ∈ B. {x, y} is an edge if either {a, x, y} or {b, x, y} ∈ B. The Steiner triple system is said to be perfect if the cycle graph of every pair is a single (v − 3)-cycle. Perfect STS(v) are known only for v = 7, 9, 25, and 33. We construct perfect STS (v) for v = 79, 139, 367, 811, 1531, 25771, 50923, 61339, and 69991. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 7: 327–330, 1999     

Steiner triple systems with disjoint or intersecting subsystems

The existence of incomplete Steiner triple systems of order υ having holes of orders w and u meeting in z elements is examined, with emphasis on the disjoint (z = 0) and intersecting (z = 1) cases. When and , the elementary necessary conditions are shown to be sufficient for all values of z. Then for and υ “near” the minimum of , the conditions are again shown to be sufficient. Consequences for larger orders are also discussed, in particular the proof that when one hole is at least three times as large as the other, the conditions are again sufficient. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 8: 58–77, 2000     

The spectrum of equitable, 4‐chromatic Steiner quadruple systems

A Steiner quadruple system of order v (briefly an SQS(v)) is a pair (X, ) with |X| = v and a set of quadruples taken from X such that every triple in X is in a unique quadruple in . Hanani [Canad J Math 12 (1960), 145–157] showed that an SQS(v) exists if and only if v is {admissible}, that is, v = 0,1 or v ≡ 2,4 (mod 6). Each SQS(v) has a chromatic number when considered as a 4‐uniform hypergraph. Here we show that a 4‐chromatic SQS(v) exists for all admissible v ≥ 20, and that no 4‐chromatic SQS(v) exists for v < 20. Each system we construct admits a proper 4‐coloring that is equitable, that is, any two color classes differ in size by at most one. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 369–392, 2007     

A lower bound on the number of Semi‐Boolean quadruple systems

A Steiner quadruple system of order 2ⁿ is Semi‐Boolean (SBQS(2ⁿ) in short) if all its derived triple systems are isomorphic to the point‐line design associated with the projective geometry PG(n?1, 2). We prove by means of explicit constructions that for any n, up to isomorphism, there exist at least 2^{? 3(n?4)/2?} regular and resolvable SBQS(2ⁿ). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 11: 229–239, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/jcd.10050     

Minimum embedding of Steiner triple systems into -designs I

A (K₄-e)-design on v+w points embeds a Steiner triple system (STS) if there is a subset of v points on which the graphs of the design induce the blocks of a STS. It is established that wv/3, and that when equality is met that such a minimum embedding of an STS(v) exists, except when v=15.     

Sequencing partial Steiner triple systems

A partial Steiner triple system of order $n$ is sequenceable if there is a sequence of length $n$ of its distinct points such that no proper segment of the sequence is a union of point‐disjoint blocks. We prove that if a partial Steiner triple system has at most three point‐disjoint blocks, then it is sequenceable.