Necessary conditions for the existence of divisible designs

BOSE and CONNOR [2] proved that a symmetric regular divisible design with w classes of sizes g and joining numbers ₁ and ₂ must satisfy for every prime p the arithmetic condition (d₁, (–1)^sw)_p(d₂,(–l)^tg^w)_p=1, where d₁=k²–v₂, d₂= k–₁ s=(w-1)(w-2)/2, t=(v-w)(v-w-1)/2 and (*,*) is the Hilbert symbol. We show that if in addition _{1 2} and the design is fully symmetric divisible then (d₁, (–1)^s w)_p=(d₂, (–1)^tg^w)=1. Our assumption is by a result of CONNOR [5] fulfilled, if d₁ and ₁–₂ are relatively prime. Thus, we can exclude parameters not accessible to the Bose-Connor-Theorem. Our result can be derived from a theorem of RAGHAVARAO [9], and we give the precise assumptions of this theorem. We also discuss arithmetic restrictions for divisible designs which satisfy diverse other rules for the intersection numbers and generalize a result of DEMBOWSKI [6; 2.1.11].Dedicated to Professor Benz on occasion of his sixtieth birthday