A one-dimensional tiling is a bi-infinite string on a finite alphabet, and its tiling semigroup is an inverse semigroup whose elements are marked finite substrings of the tiling. We characterize the structure of these semigroups in the periodic case, in which the tiling is obtained by repetition of a fixed primitive word.

Qualified difference sets (QDS) composed of unions of cyclotomic classes are discussed. An exhaustive computer search for such QDS and modified QDS that also possess the zero residue has been conducted for all powers n=4,6,8 and 10. Two new families were discovered in the case n=8 and some new isolated systems were discovered for n=6 and n=10.

From an integer-valued function f we obtain, in a natural way, a matroid Mf on the domain of f. We show that the class of matroids so obtained is closed under restriction, contraction, duality, truncation and elongation, but not under direct sum. We give an excluded-minor characterization of and show that consists precisely of those transversal matroids with a presentation in which the sets in the presentation are nested. Finally, we show that on an n-set there are exactly 2n members of .

A recent article of G. Chang shows that an n × n partial latin square with prescribed diagonal can always be embedded in an n × n latin square except in one obvious case where it cannot be done. Chang's proof is to show that the symbols of the partial latin square can be assigned the elements of the additive abelian group Zn so that the diagonal elements of the square sum to zero. A theorem of M. Halls then shows this to be embeddable in the operation table of the group. In this paper, we show that when n is a prime one can determine exactly the number of distinct ways in which this assignment can be made. The proof uses some graph theoretic techniques.

In 1960, Trevor Evans gave a best possible embedding of a partial latin square of order n in a latin square of order t, for any t ≥ 2n. A latin square of order n is equivalent to a 3-cycle system of Kn, n, n, the complete tripartite graph. Here we consider a small embedding of partial 3k-cycle systems of Kn, n, n of a certain type which generalizes Evans' Theorem, and discuss how this relates to the embedding of patterned holes, another recent generalization of Evans' Theorem.

We describe several recursive constructions for designs which use designs with “holes”. As an application, we give a short new proof of the Doyen-Wilson Theorem.

The existence problem for balanced Room squares is, in general, unsolved. Recently, B. A. Anderson gave a construction for a class of these designs with side 2n − 1, where n is odd and n ≥ 3. For n even, the existence has not yet been settled. In this paper, we use the affine geometry of dimension 2 k and order 2, and a hill-climbing algorithm, to construct a number of new balanced Room squares directly. Recursive techniques based on finite geometries then give new squares of side 22k − 1 for infinitely many values of k.

An infinite class of T-matrices is constructed using Golay sequences. A list is given with new Hadamard matrices of order 2t. q, q odd, q < 10000, improving the known values of t.

Finally T-matrices are given of order 2m + 1, for small values of m ≤ 12 which do not coincide with those generated by Turyn sequences.

We discuss the projective geometry defined in terms of the hollow factor modules of a given module. In particular, we derive an explicit expression for the division ring obtained in coordinatizing such a projective geometry.

We are interested here in the Ramsey number r(T, C), where C is a complete k-uniform hypergraph and T is a “tree-like” k-graph. Upper and lower bounds are found for these numbers which lead, in some cases, to the exact value for r(T, C) and to a generalization of a theorem of Chváta1 on Ramsey numbers for graphs. In other cases we show that a determination of the exact values of r(T, C) would be equivalent to obtaining a complete solution to existence question for a certain class of Steiner systems.

A periodic binary array on the sequare grid is said to be sequential if and only if each row and each column of the array contains a given periodic binary sequence or some cyclic shift or reversal of this sequence. Such arrays are of interest in connection with experimental layouts. This paper extends previous results by characterizing sequential arrays on sequences of the type (1,…,1,0,…,0) and solving the problem of equivalence of such arrays (including a computation of the number of equivalence classes).

A square matrix A is transposable if P(RA) = (RA)T for some permutation matrices p and R, and symmetrizable if (SA)T = SA for some permutation matrix S. In this paper we find necessary and sufficient conditions on a permutation matrix P so that A is always symmetrizable if P(RA) = (RA)T for some permutation matrix R.

We consider the following problem arising in agricultural statistics. Suppose that a large number of plants are set out on a regular grid, which may be triangular, square or hexagonal, and that among these plants, half are to be given one and half the other of two possible treatments. For the sake of statistical balance, we require also that, if one plant in every k plants has i of its immediate neighbours receiving the same treatment as itself, then k is constant over all possible values of i. For square and triangular grids, there exist balanced arrays of finite period in each direction, but for the hexagonal grid, we show that no such balanced array can exist. Several related questions are discussed.

Warren W. Wolfe obtained necessary conditions for the existence of orthogonal designs in terms of rational matrices. In this paper it is shown that these necessary conditions can be obtained in terms of integral matrices. In the integral form, Wolfe's theory is more useful in the construction of orthogonal designs.

A Kirkman square with index λ, latinicity μ, block size k and ν points, KSk(v; μ, λ), is a t × t array (t = λ(ν−1)/μ(k − 1)) defined on a ν-set V such that (1) each point of V is contained in precisely μ cells of each row and column, (2) each cell of the array is either empty or contains a k-subset of V, and (3) the collection of blocks obtained from the nonempty cells of the array is a (ν, k, λ)-BIBD. For μ = 1, the existence of a KSk(ν; μ, λ) is equivalent to the existence of a doubly resolvable (ν, k, λ)-BIBD. In this case the only complete results are for k = 2. The case k = 3, λ = 1 appears to be quite difficult although some existence results are available. For k = 3, λ = 2 the problem seems to be more tractable. In this paper we prove the existence of a KS3(ν; 1, 2) for all ν ≡ 3 (mod 12).

The representation theory of Clifford algebras has been used to obtain information on the possible orders of amicable pairs of orthogonal designs on given numbers of variables. If, however, the same approach is tried on more complex systems of orthogonal designs, such as product designs and amicable triples, algebras which properly generalize the Clifford algebras are encountered. In this paper a theory of such generalizations is developed and applied to the theory of systems of orthogonal designs, and in particular to the theory of product designs.

It is well known that in any (v, b, r, k, λ) resolvable balanced incomplete block design that b≧ ν + r − l with equality if and only if the design is affine resolvable. In this paper, we show that a similar inequality holds for resolvable regular pairwise balanced designs ((ρ, λ)-designs) and we characterize those designs for which equality holds. From this characterization, we deduce certain results about block intersections in (ρ, λ)-designs.

In this paper, linear embeddings of partial designs into designs are found where no repeated blocks are introduced in the embedding process. Triple systems, pure cyclic triple systems, cyclic and directed triple systems are considered. In particular, a partial triple system with no repeated triples is embedded linearly in a triple system with no repeated triples.

Mathématical and computational techniques are described for constructing and enumerating generalized Bhaskar Rao designs (GBRD's). In particular, these methods are applied to GBRD(k + 1, k, 1(k − 1); G)'s for 1 ≥ 1. Properties of the enumerated designs, such as automorphism groups, resolutions and contracted designs are tabulated. Also described are applications to group divisible designs, multi-dimensional Howell cubes, generalized Room squares, equidistant permutation arrays, and doubly resolvable two-fold triple systems.

The purpose of this note is to determine the automorphism group of the doubly regular tournament of Szekeres type, and to use it to show that the corresponding skew Hadamard matrix H of order 2(q + 1), where q ≡5(mod 8) and q > 5, is not equivalent to the skew Hadamard matrix H(2q + 1) of quadratic residue type when 2q + 1 is a prime power.