Atomic Latin squares of order eleven

A Latin square is pan‐Hamiltonian if the permutation which defines row i relative to row j consists of a single cycle for every i ≠ j. A Latin square is atomic if all of its conjugates are pan‐Hamiltonian. We give a complete enumeration of atomic squares for order 11, the smallest order for which there are examples distinct from the cyclic group. We find that there are seven main classes, including the three that were previously known. A perfect 1‐factorization of a graph is a decomposition of that graph into matchings such that the union of any two matchings is a Hamiltonian cycle. Each pan‐Hamiltonian Latin square of order n describes a perfect 1‐factorization of K_n,n, and vice versa. Perfect 1‐factorizations of K_n,n can be constructed from a perfect 1‐factorization of K_n+1. Six of the seven main classes of atomic squares of order 11 can be obtained in this way. For each atomic square of order 11, we find the largest set of Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares (MOLS) involving that square. We discuss algorithms for counting orthogonal mates, and discover the number of orthogonal mates possessed by the cyclic squares of orders up to 11 and by Parker's famous turn‐square. We find that the number of atomic orthogonal mates possessed by a Latin square is not a main class invariant. We also define a new sort of Latin square, called a pairing square, which is mapped to its transpose by an involution acting on the symbols. We show that pairing squares are often orthogonal mates for symmetric Latin squares. Finally, we discover connections between our atomic squares and Franklin's diagonally cyclic self‐orthogonal squares, and we correct a theorem of Longyear which uses tactical representations to identify self‐orthogonal Latin squares in the same main class as a given Latin square. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

New quasi-symmetric designs constructed using mutually orthogonal Latin squares and Hadamard matrices

Using Hadamard matrices and mutually orthogonal Latin squares, we construct two new quasi-symmetric designs, with parameters 2 − (66,30,29) and 2 − (78,36,30). These are the first examples of quasi-symmetric designs with these parameters. The parameters belong to the families 2 − (2u ² − u,u ² − u,u ² − u − 1) and 2 − (2u ² + u,u ²,u ² − u), which are related to Hadamard parameters. The designs correspond to new codes meeting the Grey–Rankin bound.     

两两正交拉丁方最大数目的新上界

记D（x）是使得TD（x，n）存在的最小的数．本文给出D（x）的一个上界．     

Uniform Semi‐Latin Squares and Their Schur‐Optimality

Let n and k be integers, with and . An semi‐Latin square S is an array, whose entries are k‐subsets of an ‐set, the set of symbols of S, such that each symbol of S is in exactly one entry in each row and exactly one entry in each column of S. Semi‐Latin squares form an interesting class of combinatorial objects which are useful in the design of comparative experiments. We say that an semi‐Latin square S is uniform if there is a constant μ such that any two entries of S, not in the same row or column, intersect in exactly μ symbols (in which case ). We prove that a uniform semi‐Latin square is Schur‐optimal in the class of semi‐Latin squares, and so is optimal (for use as an experimental design) with respect to a very wide range of statistical optimality criteria. We give a simple construction to make an semi‐Latin square S from a transitive permutation group G of degree n and order , and show how certain properties of S can be determined from permutation group properties of G. If G is 2‐transitive then S is uniform, and this provides us with Schur‐optimal semi‐Latin squares for many values of n and k for which optimal semi‐Latin squares were previously unknown for any optimality criterion. The existence of a uniform semi‐Latin square for all integers is shown to be equivalent to the existence of mutually orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS) of order n. Although there are not even two MOLS of order 6, we construct uniform, and hence Schur‐optimal, semi‐Latin squares for all integers . & 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Combin. Designs 00: 1–13, 2012     

Constructing orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares and panmagic squares from modular n‐queens solutions

In this article, we show how to construct pairs of orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares and panmagic squares from certain types of modular n‐queens solutions. We prove that when these modular n‐queens solutions are symmetric, the panmagic squares thus constructed will be associative, where for an n × n associative magic square A = (a_ij), for all i and j it holds that a_ij + an?i?1,n?j?1 = c for a fixed c. We further show how to construct orthogonal Latin squares whose modular difference diagonals are Latin from any modular n‐queens solution. As well, we analyze constructing orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares from particular classes of non‐linear modular n‐queens solutions. These pandiagonal Latin squares are not row cyclic, giving a partial solution to a problem of Hedayat. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 221–234, 2007     

On the orthogonal Latin squares polytope

Since 1782, when Euler addressed the question of existence of a pair of orthogonal Latin squares (OLS) by stating his famous conjecture, these structures have remained an active area of research. In this paper, we examine the polyhedral aspects of OLS. In particular, we establish the dimension of the OLS polytope, describe all cliques of the underlying intersection graph and categorize them into three classes. Two of these classes are shown to induce facet-defining inequalities of Chvátal rank two. For each such class, we provide a polynomial separation algorithm of the lowest possible complexity.     

The enumeration of cyclic mutually nearly orthogonal Latin squares

In this paper, we study collections of mutually nearly orthogonal Latin squares (MNOLS), which come from a modification of the orthogonality condition for mutually orthogonal Latin squares. In particular, we find the maximum such that there exists a set of cyclic MNOLS of order for , as well as providing a full enumeration of sets and lists of cyclic MNOLS of order under a variety of equivalences with . This resolves in the negative a conjecture that proposed that the maximum for which a set of cyclic MNOLS of order exists is .     

A tripling construction for mutually orthogonal symmetric hamiltonian double Latin squares

We provide two new constructions for pairs of mutually orthogonal symmetric hamiltonian double Latin squares. The first is a tripling construction, and the second is derived from known constructions of hamilton cycle decompositions of when is prime.     

Four Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares of Order 14

The paper gives example of orthogonal array OA(6, 14) obtained from a difference matrix . The construction is equivalent to four mutually orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS) of order 14. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Combin. Designs 20: 363–367, 2012     

Concerning seven and eight mutually orthogonal Latin squares

In this paper, three new direct Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares (MOLS) constructions are presented for 7 MOLS(24), 7 MOLS(75) and 8 MOLS(36); then using recursive methods, several new constructions for 7 and 8 MOLS are obtained. These reduce the largest value for which 7 MOLS are unknown from 780 to 570, and the largest odd value for which 8 MOLS are unknown from 1935 to 419. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An LP-based proof for the non-existence of a pair of orthogonal Latin squares of order 6

This paper presents an alternative proof for the non-existence of orthogonal Latin squares of order 6. Our method is algebraic, rather than enumerative, and applies linear programming in order to obtain appropriate dual vectors. The proof is achievable only after extending previously known results for symmetry elimination.     

Six mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order 48

A direct construction of six mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order 48 is given. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 5:463–466, 1997     

Completing Latin squares: Critical sets II

It is shown that each critical set in a Latin square of order n > 6 has to have at least empty cells. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 77–83, 2007     

Mutually orthogonal equitable Latin rectangles

Let ab=n². We define an equitable Latin rectangle as an a×b matrix on a set of n symbols where each symbol appears either or times in each row of the matrix and either or times in each column of the matrix. Two equitable Latin rectangles are orthogonal in the usual way. Denote a set of ka×b mutually orthogonal equitable Latin rectangles as a k– MOELR (a,b;n). When a≠9,18,36, or 100, then we show that the maximum number of k– MOELR (a,b;n)≥3 for all possible values of (a,b).     

Existence of weakly pandiagonal orthogonal Latin squares

A weakly pandiagonal Latin square of order n over the number set {0, 1, . . . , n-1} is a Latin square having the property that the sum of the n numbers in each of 2n diagonals is the same. In this paper, we shall prove that a pair of orthogonal weakly pandiagonal Latin squares of order n exists if and only if n ≡ 0, 1, 3 (mod 4) and n≠3.     

Recursive construction of non-cyclic pandiagonal Latin squares

The pandiagonal Latin squares constructed using Hedayat’s method are cyclic. During the last decades several authors have described methods for constructing pandiagonal Latin squares which are semi-cyclic. In this paper we propose a recursive method for constructing non-cyclic pandiagonal Latin squares of any given order n$n$, where n$n$ is a positive composite integer not divisible by 2 or 3. We also investigate the orthogonality properties of the constructed squares and extend our method to construct non-cyclic pandiagonal Sudoku.     

Direct Constructions for General Families of Cyclic Mutually Nearly Orthogonal Latin Squares

Two Latin squares and , of even order n with entries , are said to be nearly orthogonal if the superimposition of L on M yields an array in which each ordered pair , and , occurs at least once and the ordered pair occurs exactly twice. In this paper, we present direct constructions for the existence of general families of three cyclic mutually orthogonal Latin squares of orders , , and . The techniques employed are based on the principle of Methods of Differences and so we also establish infinite classes of “quasi‐difference” sets for these orders.     

Five mutually orthogonal Latin squares of orders 24 and 40

Let N(n) denote the maximum number of mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order n. It is proved that N(24) and N(40)5.