Existence question for difference families and construction of some new families

We establish some properties of mixed difference families. We obtain some criteria for the existence of such families and a special kind of multipliers. Several methods are presented for the construction of difference families by using cyclotomy and genetic algorithms. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 12: 256–270, 2004.     

New existence and nonexistence results for strong external difference families

In this paper, we use character-theoretic techniques to give new nonexistence results for $(n,m,k,\lambda )$-strong external difference families (SEDFs). We also use cyclotomic classes to give two new classes of SEDFs with $m=2$.     

The Existence of （v, 4, 1） Disjoint Difference Families with v a Prime Power

A （v, k, λ） difference family （（v, k, λ）-DF in short） over an abelian group G of order v, is a collection F=（Bi｜i ∈ I} of k-subsets of G, called base blocks, such that any nonzero element of G can be represented in precisely A ways as a difference of two elements lying in some base blocks in F. A （v, k, λ）-DDF is a difference family with disjoint blocks. In this paper, by using Weil＇s theorem on character sum estimates, it is proved that there exists a （p^n, 4, 1）-DDF, where p = 1 （rood 12） is a prime number and n ≥1.     

Perfect difference families,perfect difference matrices,and related combinatorial structures

The existence problems of perfect difference families with block size k, k=4,5, and additive sequences of permutations of length n, n=3,4, are two outstanding open problems in combinatorial design theory for more than 30 years. In this article, we mainly investigate perfect difference families with block size k=4 and additive sequences of permutations of length n=3. The necessary condition for the existence of a perfect difference family with block size 4 and order v, or briefly (v, 4,1)‐PDF, is v≡1(mod12), and that of an additive sequence of permutations of length 3 and order m, or briefly ASP (3, m), is m≡1(mod2). So far, (12t+1,4,1)‐PDFs with t<50 are known only for t=1,4−36,41,46 with two definiteexceptions of t=2,3, and ASP (3, m)'s with odd 3<m<200 are known only for m=5,7,13−29,35,45,49,65,75,85,91,95,105,115,119,121,125,133,135,145,147,161,169,175,189,195 with two definite exceptions of m=9,11. In this article, we show that a (12t+1,4,1)‐PDF exists for any t⩽1,000 except for t=2,3, and an ASP (3, m) exists for any odd 3<m<200 except for m=9,11 and possibly for m=59. The main idea of this article is to use perfect difference families and additive sequences of permutations with “holes”. We first introduce the concepts of an incomplete perfect difference matrix with a regular hole and a perfect difference packing with a regular difference leave, respectively. We show that an additive sequence of permutations is in fact equivalent to a perfect difference matrix, then describe an important recursive construction for perfect difference matrices via perfect difference packings with a regular difference leave. Plenty of perfect difference packings with a desirable difference leave are constructed directly. We also provide a general recursive construction for perfect difference packings, and as its applications, we obtain extensive recursive constructions for perfect difference families, some via incomplete perfect difference matrices with a regular hole. Examples of perfect difference packings directly constructed are used as ingredients in these recursive constructions to produce vast numbers of perfect difference families with block size 4. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 18: 415–449, 2010     

Constructions for optimal (u×v,{3,4},1,Q)-OOSPCs

Multiple-weight optical orthogonal signature pattern codes (OOSPCs) were introduced by Kwong and Yang for 2-D image transmission in multicore-fiber optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) networks with multiple quality of services (QoS) requirement. In this paper, an upper bound on the maximum code size of a $(u\times v,W,\lambda ,Q)$-OOSPC is obtained. A link between optimal $(u\times v,W,\lambda ,Q)$-OOSPCs and block designs is developed. Several infinite families of optimal $(u\times v,\{3,4\},1,Q)$-OOSPCs are presented by means of semi-cyclic group divisible designs ($(W,Q)$-SCGDDs) and perfect relative difference families.     

Estimate of solutions for differential and difference functional equations with applications to difference methods

The theorems on the estimate of solutions for nonlinear second-order partial differential functional equations mainly of parabolic type with Dirichlet’s condition and for the suitable explicit finite difference functional schemes are proved. The proofs are based on the comparison technique. The convergent difference method given is considered without an assumption of the global generalized Perron condition on the functional variable but with local one in some sense only. It is a consequence of our estimate theorems. The functional dependence is of the Volterra type.     

Fuzzy implication operators for difference operations for fuzzy sets and cardinality-based measures of comparison

In this paper, we determine by means of fuzzy implication operators, two classes of difference operations for fuzzy sets and two classes of symmetric difference operations for fuzzy sets which preserve properties of the classical difference operation for crisp sets and the classical symmetric difference operation for crisp sets respectively. The obtained operations allow us to construct as in [B. De Baets, H. De Meyer, Transitivity-preserving fuzzification schemes for cardinality-based similarity measures, European Journal of Operational Research 160 (2005) 726–740], cardinality-based similarity measures which are reflexive, symmetric and transitive fuzzy relations and, to propose two classes of distances (metrics) which are fuzzy versions of the well-known distance of cardinality of the symmetric difference of crisp sets.