Using block designs in crossing number bounds

The crossing number $\mathrm{\text{CR}}\left(G\right)$ of a graph $G=\left(V,E\right)$ is the smallest number of edge crossings over all drawings of $G$ in the plane. For any $k\ge 1$, the $k$‐planar crossing number of $G,{\mathrm{\text{CR}}}_k\left(G\right)$, is defined as the minimum of $\text{CR}\left(G_1\right)+\text{CR}\left(G_2\right)+?+\text{CR}\left(G_k\right)$ over all graphs $G_1,G_2,\dots ,G_k$ with ${\cup }_{i=1}^k{G}_i=G$. Pach et al [Comput. Geom.: Theory Appl. 68 (2018), pp. 2–6] showed that for every $k\ge 1$, we have ${\text{CR}}_k\left(G\right)\le (2/k^2?1/k^3)\text{CR}\left(G\right)$ and that this bound does not remain true if we replace the constant $2/k^2?1/k^3$ by any number smaller than $1/k^2$. We improve the upper bound to $(1/k^2)\left(1+o\left(1\right)\right)$ as $k\to \infty$. For the class of bipartite graphs, we show that the best constant is exactly $1/k^2$ for every $k$. The results extend to the rectilinear variant of the $k$‐planar crossing number.