Let L be an integer lattice, and S a set of lattice points in L. We say that S is optimal if it minimises the number of rectangular sublattices of L (including degenerate ones) which contain an even number of points in S. We show that the resolution of the Hadamard conjecture is equivalent to the determination of |S| for an optimal set S in a (4s-1) × (4s-1) integer lattice L. We then specialise to the case of 1 × n integer lattices, characterising and enumerating their optimal sets.

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).

We show that for all n ≥ 3k + 1, n ≠ 6, there exists an incomplete self-orthogonal latin square of order n with an empty order k subarray, called an ISOLS(n;k), except perhaps when (n;k) ∈ {(6m + i;2m):i = 2, 6}.

A minimal (1,3; ν) covering occurs when we have a family of proper subsets selected from ν elements with the property that every triple occurs exactly once in the family and no family of smaller cardinality possesses this property. Woodall developed a lower bound W for the quantity g(k)(1, 3; ν) which represents the cardinality of a minimal family with longest block of length k. The Woodall bound is only accurate in the region when k ≥ ν/2. We develop an expression for the excess of the true value over the Woodall bound and apply this to show that, when k ≥ ν/2, the value of g(1,3; ν) = W + 1 when k is even and W + 1 + when k is odd.

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.

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.

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.

The existence of 1-factorizations of the complete multigraph λKn which cannot be decomposed into 1-factorizations with smaller λ is studied.

One way of constructing a 2 – (11,5,4) design is to take together all the blocks of two 2 – (11,5,2) designs having no blocks in common. We show that 58 non-isomorphic 2 – (11,5,4) designs can be so made and that through extensions by complementation these can be packaged into just 12 non-isomorphic reducible 3 – (12,6,4) designs.

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.

V. Krishnamurthy has shown that on a finite set X all topologies can be mapped into a certain set of matrices of zeros and ones. In this paper it is shown that all lattices, algebras and rings on a finite set X can be mapped onto particular sets of matrices of zeros and ones.

In this note it is proved that a BIB(ν, k, l) implies N(ν −4) ≧ min (N(k–2), N(k–1) –1, N(k)–1) and that N(69)≧6.

An (n + 1, n2 + n + 1)-packing is a collection of blocks, each of size n + 1, chosen from a set of size n2 + n + 1, such that no pair of points is contained in more than one block. If any two blocks contain a common point, then the packing can be extended to a projective plane of order n, provided the number of blocks is sufficiently large. We study packings which have a pair of disjoint blocks (such a packing clearly cannot be extended to a projective plane of order n). No such packing can contain more than n2 + n/2 blocks. Also, if n is the order of a projective plane, then we can construct such a packing with n2 + 1 blocks.

A Room n-cube of side t is an n dimensional array of side t which satisfies the property that each two dimensional projection is a Room square. The existence of a Room n-cube of side t is equivalent to the existence of n pairwise orthgonal symmetric Latin squares (POSLS) of side t. The existence of n pairwise orthogonal starters of order t implies the existence of n POSLS of side t. Denote by v(n) the maximum number of POSLS of side t. In this paper, we use Galois fields and computer constructions to construct sets of pairwise orthogonal starters of order t ≤ 101. The existence of these sets of starters gives improved lower bounds for v(n). In particular, we show v(17) ≥ 5, v(21) ≥ 5, v(29) ≥ 13, v(37) ≥ 15 and v(41) ≥ 9, among others.

Orthogonal diagonal latin squares of order n, ODLS(n), are orthogonal latin squares of order n with transversals on both the main diagonal and the back diagonal of each square. It has been proven that ODLS(n) exist for all n except n = 2, 3, 6, 10, 14, 15, 18 and 26, in which the first three are impossible. In this note an example of ODLS(14) is given.

The (2, 3, ν) bipacking number is determined for all integers ν, and the number of non-isomorphic bipackings is found for small values of ν. The general solution for lambada packings of pairs into triples is deduced from the results for λ = 1 and λ = 2.

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.

A recursive construction for orthogonal diagonal latin squares, using group divisible designs, is presented. In consequence the numbers of orders for which the existence of such squares is in question is reduced to 72.

Recently, we have introduced the notion of stable permutations in a Latin rectangle L(r×c) of r rows and c columns. In this note, we prove that the set of all stable permutations in L (r×c) forms a distributive lattice which is Boolean if and only if c ≤ 2.

An equidistant permutation array is a ν × r array A(r, λ;ν) defined on a r-set X such that every row of A is a permutation of X and any two distinct rows agree in precisely λ common columns. Define In this paper, we show that where n = r − λ. Certain results pertaining to irreducible equidistant permutation arrays are also established.